Symbol of Honor
by Lady Saffir
Summary: Four years after Endless Waltz, Heero and Relena decide to move on with their lives, but someone doesn't want Relena to. Sap, fluff, lime and angst spread throughout.
1. A Little Rain Never Hurt Anybody

  
Symbol of Honor  
  
Chapter 1:A little bit of rain never hurt anybody...  
  
By Lady Saffir   
  
E-mail: Rinoah7@cs.com  
  
RATING:PG/PG-13 (This chapter is kind of limey)  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Gundam Wing.  
  
AN-This story line is going to be a little more adult than my usual things, so there is a good reason for the PG/PG-13 rating that this story carries. Later chapters will possibly carry an R rating, for language, situations, and other various things. So please take heed. Also, would anyone be interested in editing for me? E-mail me if you are. Thanks!  
  
*****************************************************  
  
  
  
Heero sighed, looking up into the heavens accusingly. Somebody up there HAD to be female; every time he went to see Relena, the clouds began to rain - and hail, and sleet, and gust - forth. The end result being Heero always had a wet shirt on when he finally reached Relena's window.  
  
  
Sighing once more, Heero absently patted his jacket pocket, feeling the smooth lump under his hand. That, at least, was safe.   
  
  
Stopping just shy of the balcony awning, Heero knelt to pick up a handful of rocks, which just so happened to be in a small rock garden located underneath Relena's window...  
  
  
Finally settling on a rock, Heero squinted into the gloom, then let the rock fly. When no sound came forth indicating a closed door, Heero could only shake his head. It was a good thing that no enemy had realized how he visited Relena.  
  
  
Stepping closer to the balcony, Heero jumped, his wet hands barely managing to grasp the slippery tile of the balcony floor. With a muted 'Hn', he pulled himself up, then re-checked his coat pocket. It was then that Heero noticed the faint glow that was issuing out of the opened doors. A slight smile worked its way onto his face as he pondered what exactly Relena had in store for him. The last time had been...interesting, and, much to Relena's delight, and his chagrin, Heero found that he couldn't look at certain foods without breaking into a grin.  
  
  
Softly stepping inside the door, Heero could only gasp in amazement. Candles were strewn about the room, finding purchase on anything from the desktop to the dresser, giving the room a changing image as each individual flame flickered and cavorted upon the wick.  
  
  
The smirk, which had stayed on his lips throughout his entire journey, turned into a full-fledged smile at the sight that greeted his eyes. Relena, clad only in one of his white shirts, was curled up in the reading chair, a glass of wine resting on the table beside her. Another glass, this one empty, had been placed next to the bottle of wine that was chilling.  
  
  
Removing his jacket and kicking his shoes off, Heero padded on bare feet to where Relena rested, sinking to his knees as he studied her in the candlelight. At nineteen years of age, the young peacekeeper's features had finally matured, the baby-fat having been melted away by long hours of exercise. Thick, sooty lashes framed a pair of blue eyes that could see straight into a person's soul. Her lips, mercurial in nature, never failed to captivate Heero. He could watch her hours, seeing how she would smirk at some inner dialogue, then frown as a disturbing thought came to the fore, then smile once again as a sunny thought banished the dark one.  
  
  
Leaning forward, Heero gently brushed his lips across her forehead, then traced a path across her face, planting butterfly kisses on her eyelids, nose, cheek, and finally, her mouth, which curved into a smile as Relena awoke to find her lover at her side.  
  
  
"Good evening," she said simply, watching as Heero settled himself onto the floor by her side.  
  
  
Idly playing with a lock of his hair, Relena couldn't help but smile Heero began to relax under her gentle ministrations. She absolutely loved his hair, especially when he had been out in the wind, like tonight. Never tame to begin with, the moisture from the air encouraged its unruliness, giving it a faint curl around the base of his neck.  
  
  
They continued on like this for several more minutes, she in the chair, running her hands through his hair, he with his head tilted back, enjoying her gentle caresses. At last he stirred, his dark blue eyes opening to find her smiling down at him.  
  
  
Standing, Heero silently held out his hand, gently pulling Relena to her feet. A sudden tug found Relena, a smile adorning her face, as she looked up from her place in Heero's arms. An answering smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he looked down at the beauty in his arms.  
  
  
Leaning down, Heero gently grasped her earlobe with his teeth, silently enjoying the small shiver that chased its way down her spine.  
  
  
"Well?" he whispered, his mouth still at her ear, "Are we alone for the evening?" His mouth continued its perusal of Relena's skin, finding the sensitive spot just behind her ear, bordering on her hairline. He continued his exploration of her neck and shoulders, smiling against the warm skin as Relena sighed and tilted her head back to allow for better access.   
  
  
Relena slowly opened her eyes, an answering smile crossing her lips as she gazed into Heero's eyes. In private like this, he became the Heero that she had sensed hidden those long years ago. He had begun to open up in public as well, his smiles becoming more frequent.  
  
  
"Milliardo and Noin are gone for the weekend, and I gave the servants the weekend off as well. So it's just the two of us in this large, scary old house," she whispered back, once again placing her head so that she could listen to his heartbeat.  
  
  
"Mph. Well, in that case, what say you to some soft, romantic music and a glass of wine?" He suggested, already turning towards the stereo.  
  
  
  
He turned in time to see Relena pout, before tossing back a laughing "Tease!" as she reached for the wine. With lightening quick movement, he snagged his jacket from its resting-place, retrieved an item from the inner pocket, and had re-placed the jacket and turned on the stereo by the time Relena was finished pouring their drinks.  
  
  
The soft, thready strains of Moonlight Sonata floated through the air, twining about the soft glow of the candles to create a suddenly more intimate atmosphere.   
  
  
Relena glanced over her shoulder, then said teasingly, "I think I'm going to have to buy that disc in bulk, so when you wear this one out you won't go into withdrawals."  
  
  
Heero slipped his arms about Relena's waist from behind, enjoying the soft sigh that escaped her lips. She was still holding the wineglasses as he began to gently sway back and forth, moving his head down to rest on top of her own.   
  
  
Slowly moving towards his favorite chair, Heero took his glass from her hands as he gently twirled her around to end up sitting in his lap. Grinning at her affronted expression, he noticed a drop of wine trailing down the side of the cup.  
  
  
"Spill some, did you?"   
  
  
Relena allowed herself a few wriggles to find a comfortable position before deigning to answer.  
  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes, you did cause me to spill a few drops, but luckily for you, it didn't land on either the carpet or my shirt," she answered with a mock haughtiness in her voice.  
  
  
His grin widened as he noted her words.  
  
  
"So where exactly did you spill this wine, if it didn't end up on the carpet or on YOUR shirt?" he asked.  
  
  
Her answering smile was enough for him.  
  
  
"Why don't you find out?" she challenged.  
  
  
Her only answer was a full-fledged smirk as Heero bent his head to the task of retrieving the errant wine drops.  
  
  
  
  
Some time later he raised his head, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as he noted her expression.   
  
  
"I trust you didn't enjoy that TOO much?" he asked, brushing his lips once again across her face, lips, neck, ears - any skin that was in reach.  
  
  
By this time his own shirt, still slightly damp from his journey, was opened to the waist, allowing Relena's hands to roam where ever they pleased. He had to stifle a groan as her hands began to massage the knots of muscle at the back of his neck, temporarily distracting him.  
  
  
"I could return the favor," she offered, trailing a well-manicured fingernail down his chest.   
  
  
Stifling another groan, Heero captured her hand with his own, bringing the offending digit to his mouth, where he kissed it. Raising his eyebrows at her, he smiled at her answering giggle, before placing both wineglasses on the table.   
  
  
"Later," he whispered, voice husky, "but for now, Koishii, we dance."  
  
  
Rising, Heero held out his hands, holding Relena fast as she stepped into the shelter of his arms. They began to drift about the room, neither talking, each content to enjoy the silence for once. The music came to a close, yet both continued to dance, waiting for the song to begin again. Heero allowed several bars of music to float by before speaking.  
  
  
"Relena."  
  
  
With a start the young woman looked up, surprised to hear her name. In private Heero never used her name, instead calling her 'darling', or 'beloved', or 'lover'. Her formal name was reserved only for serious situations.  
  
  
"Hmmm?" Searching Heero's eyes for some clue, Relena thought that something flashed briefly though the dark blue orbs before being hidden from sight once again. Shrugging to herself, Relena placed her head against his chest, content to let him initiate the conversation.  
  
  
A moment passed, in which the combination of wine, Heero, and sleepiness caused Relena to lightly doze. A slight shake caught her attention though, and with a start she realized that Heero was waiting for her to look at him.  
  
  
Looking down, Heero's breath caught in his throat as Relena gazed up at him sleepily. The effect of candlelight and those beautiful blue eyes peering up at him through thick lashes made him remember just how much he loved her.  
  
  
"Relena," he started again, then stopped, unsure as to how to proceed. He chewed on his lower lip for a moment, before blurting out, "Are you happy?"  
  
  
The question hung in the air between them, Heero wishing he could take it back, Relena confused as to where exactly this was leading. Several answers came and went before she decided on the simplest one.  
  
  
"You are here with me. That is all I ask of life, " she said, gazing up at him lovingly.  
  
  
Heero let out a breath he couldn't remember holding. Deciding that was definitely a good answer to build on, he stopped dancing. He bent to kiss Relena, then broke the kiss by going down on one knee, then began speaking from his heart.  
  
  
"I have watched you through the years and seen your courage and compassion. I have seen you build peace and celebrate the step forward, and I have held you in my arms as you cried for the people that you could not reach. And in this past year I have grown to love you more than I thought humanly possible, which is why I ask you this: Relena, will you marry me?"  
  
  
His hand outstretched, holding the ring that had taken him days to pick out, Heero Yuy placed his heart on the floor and waited to see whether Relena would crush it with a single blow, or if she would take an even tighter hold of it than she did now.  
  
  
A heartbeat passed, then tears sprang up in Relena's eyes as she rushed forward to fall into Heero's waiting arms.  
  
  
"Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!" she cried, tears of joy streaming unchecked down her face.   
  
  
Heero could only hold Relena tighter, as he felt his own salty tears begin their haphazard course. He held her for another moment, then pulled back slightly to take her hand in his. Both watched as the small golden circle slid smoothly across Relena's knuckle, to fit snugly at the base of her ring finger.  
  
  
  
The happy couple held gazes for a heartbeat, then Heero surged forward, pulling Relena off her feet as he swung her into the air. Dancing crazily about the room, he whirled Relena around the room, never once allowing her feet to reach the floor. Pausing by the bed, Heero gazed at the woman that would one day be his wife.  
  
  
Looking into Relena's eyes, still shining with happiness, Heero felt a lump in the back of his throat. She was his, it was official, and nothing would ever take her away from him again.  
  
  
"I love you, always and forever," he murmured as he gently placed her on the bed.  
  
  
  
"I know", she responded, as his weight settled over top of hers.  
  



	2. If You Think a Zero System Quatra is Bad...

  
Symbol of Honor  
  
Chapter 2: If you thought a Quatra on the Zero system was bad, you haven't met an angry Relena, have you?  
  
By Lady Saffir  
  
Rating:G/PG  
  
DISCLAIMER:(sung to the Oscar Mayer hot-dog song, and quite off-key)  
Eh hem....  
Oh, I wish I were a Gundam Wing owner, for that is what I'd really like to be,  
For if I owned this really awesome cartoon,  
Then I'd be rolling in lots of sweet money!  
  
*****************************************************  
  
  
  
People were used to Heero Yuy walking in Monday morning with a scowl. They were even used to the slight smirk that he some times wore. However, they were not prepared for the sight that greeted them this morning.  
  
  
Heero Yuy was wearing a smile.  
  
  
He was also whistling.  
  
  
And he actually said good morning to his secretary as he walked passed her.  
  
  
Suddenly aware of the silence that surrounded him, Heero turned, his customary scowl crossing his features.   
  
  
"What is everyone looking at?" he growled.   
  
  
Relieved that the world wasn't ending after all, the normal Monday morning chatter resumed, happy to oblige Heero.  
  
  
Wufei, having just returned from the coffee table, scowled at his fellow Preventer. Something fishy was going on, and he didn't like it. He was sure that whatever it was, it would lead to total chaos, with him being sucked into it. Sniffing, Wufei silently vowed to avoid Heero, and Relena, at all costs for the next couple of days.  
  
  
Trowa, already at work, merely looked out of his door, his features unreadable. He would patiently wait for Heero to announce the reason behind his actions. And he was confident that his patience would outlast that of Heero's.  
  
  
Quatra, taking Heero's smile as a good sign, merely nodded at Heero as he passed him. He had a meeting with Relena later today; perhaps then he could coax some information out of her.  
  
  
Duo, however, was another matter entirely. He was confident that if he pestered and badgered the silent man enough, the happy news would eventually leak out. His actions decided, he sauntered up to Heero, slinging a friendly arm about the other's shoulders.  
  
  
"Hey, Heero buddy! Have a good weekend?"  
  
  
Heero, wary of Duo's actions, merely nodded. If he knew Duo, the other man would quickly come to the point. And probably just as quickly give Heero a headache. With a sigh he headed for the coffee, Duo tagging along.  
  
  
"So, how's 'Jousan?" Duo asked, leaning nonchalantly against the counter.   
  
  
Heero shot his friend an unreadable look.  
  
  
"All right," he answered neutrally. Deciding that this would probably be the best time to ask the other man to dinner, Heero stilled his nerves and forged ahead.  
  
  
"Actually, we have something we need to talk to you about. Do you think that you and Hilde could make it to dinner tomorrow night?"  
  
  
Taken aback by his friend's request, Duo let his mouth gape open for a moment.   
  
  
"S,sure," he stuttered. "Um, is it really important?"  
  
  
"Extremely," Heero answered solemnly. He was banking on Duo telling the entire office about the dinner, and thus piquing their curiosity enough to make them all conveniently show up at his apartment tomorrow night. At least, he hoped that was how it would work out.  
  
  
"Well," he said, glancing at his watch, "I've got some field work that I've got to take care of. Remember, tomorrow night, seven o'clock, my place."  
  
  
Duo watched as the other man walked away, his eyes narrowed in thought. A sudden idea crossed his mind, leaving Duo in shock as to the enormity of the situation.  
  
  
"Oh my god," he whispered. "I bet she's pregnant."  
  
  
"Who are you talking to, Duo?"  
  
  
Duo jumped at the voice, whirling to face a worried looking Sally Po.   
  
  
"Call a meeting, Sally," he said grimly. "We've got a problem."  
  
  
  
  
"And that's about it," Duo finished up. Silence descended for a moment before Quatra spoke up.  
  
  
"You know," he said hesitantly, "Relena just called to cancel our meeting, and she sounded kind of...strange."  
  
  
Duo nodded.  
  
  
"We haven't seen a lot of her recently either. And Heero's been acting weird for the past couple of days. I actually had to repeat myself the other day."  
  
  
Duo glanced around the group, his eyes finally settling on Sally's. At his questioning look she nodded her head.  
  
  
"You want us to tag along, just in case something sets Heero off?"  
  
  
"You got it! After all, he gets a little trigger happy when it comes to Relena."  
  
  
Wufei spoke up from his corner.  
  
  
"I don't like. I just know something's going to happen and we're going to have to pull his butt out of the fire," he declared.  
  
  
Smiling sweetly at her husband of three months, Sally continued, turning to face Lucrezia Noin.  
  
  
"I trust you can get Zechs there without a problem?"  
  
  
Noin frowned, then answered.  
  
  
"Yes, I'll just tell him that Heero invited everyone over for dinner. That shouldn't make him too suspicious."  
  
  
Sally nodded, then turned to face everyone.   
  
  
"So it's decided? We'll all conveniently show up at Heero's at...what time?"  
  
  
"Seven," Duo supplied.  
  
  
"Seven it is, then. Meeting adjourned."  
  
  
  
Some time later Heero picked up the phone, really not wanting to make the phone call. Remembering why he was doing this, he slowly punched in the personal number, waiting for Sally to pick up.  
  
  
"Yes?"  
  
  
"Sally, it's Heero. Would you mind telling Une that I'm taking the rest of today and tomorrow off?" Heero gritted his teeth, waiting for the questions to start. To his surprise, only one followed.  
  
  
"Sure. Should I give her a reason?"  
  
  
Heero silently exhaled, rubbing a hand across his face.  
  
  
"Just tell her...it's personal."  
  
  
He could just see her perk up at that bit of information.  
  
  
"Personal? Today and tomorrow? Not a problem. Talk to you later," she ended, closing the line between them.  
  
  
  
Heero eyed the buggy warily. Yesterday afternoon had been spent Christmas shopping, and this morning had found Relena insisting on accompanying him to the grocery store. While he conceded the point that Duo ate a lot, there was no way it was humanly possible to eat this much food in one week, let alone one day.   
  
  
Shrugging philosophically, Heero let Relena guide him down the next isle. If worse came to worse, he'd just have Duo over that weekend. That's how he usually got rid of his leftovers anyway.  
  
  
"Heero?"  
  
  
With a start, Heero realized that Relena had asked him a question. Now what did she want?  
  
  
"Heero. Do you use frozen vegetables in your fried rice, or fresh?"  
  
  
Ouch. That kind of hurt. As if he would dare use second-rate products in his food. You'd think after all this time Relena would know better.  
  
  
"Please," he snorted, "I only use the freshest ingredients available."  
  
  
Rolling her eyes, Relena stifled a groan.  
  
  
"Well, then, O Great One, go pick out your chosen tools while I get the drinks," she said sarcastically, before heading down another isle.  
  
  
  
  
"Mission...complete," Heero gasped as he staggered into his kitchen. The sheer amount of food that he had bought was staggering, leaving him to wonder where to store it all.  
  
  
Relena breezed past him, carrying a small bag containing bread in one hand, and a gallon of milk in the other. Humming to herself, she set to emptying the bags of groceries onto the kitchen table.  
  
  
"What are you humming?" Heero asked from the seat he had taken. The multiple trips to the car hadn't really worn him out; he was simply enjoying the sight before his eyes. Watching Relena flit from place to place, Heero could only marvel at how...domestic she looked.   
  
  
"Hmm? Oh, nothing. It's just a song I heard Quatra playing the other day."  
  
  
Slipping up behind her, Heero encircled her waist with his arms, gently swaying back and forth.  
  
  
"If you like it that much, why don't we ask Quatra to play it at the wedding?" He asked.   
  
  
Relena stopped suddenly, then turned to face him.  
  
  
"Actually," she began hesitantly, "I was thinking that we could have a Shinto wedding...if you want," she added.  
  
  
It was Heero's turn to stare in shock.  
  
  
"But...you aren't Shintoist," he replied.  
  
  
"Erm, yes, well..." Relena trailed off, trying to find the best way to tell him of her decision. Several options came and went before she decided upon the direct approach. Taking a deep breath, she answered him.  
  
  
"I was going to convert, sort of as a, well, as a wedding gift to you," she whispered.  
  
  
Heero was rooted in place. His heart, which he had previously thought full of love for this slip of a woman, now seemed to burst at the seams. That she, knowing full well how much his religion meant to him, was willing to give up her own for his sake, was almost incomprehensible. Crushing her to him, Heero thought for a moment, then spoke.  
  
  
"Do you mean it, Relena? You would do that...for me?"  
  
  
Tilting her head back, Relena looked at him, love shining in her eyes.  
  
  
"Of course, silly. You have only to ask, and I will try my best to accomplish whatever it is," she replied.  
  
  
Pulling her even closer, if such a thing was possible, he bent his dark head to her fair one, capturing her lips in a long, passionate kiss. An idea crossed his mind, and he pulled back to look at her.  
  
  
"It isn't fair that you should give up on your dream of a large wedding. Why don't we have the Shinto ceremony be a private affair, then have the largest Western wedding the world and colonies have ever seen, open to the public. What do you say?" he asked, inwardly biting his lip.  
  
  
A smile danced across Relena's lips, lighting up her entire face.  
  
  
"Really? You wouldn't mind all the publicity and everything?"  
  
  
Heero nodded resolutely.  
  
  
"Of course not. You know how much I enjoy crazed photographers, reporters shoving microphones everywhere, and nobles fawning all over you. Plus," he added, "that way we have the best of both worlds, and have an excuse to party twice as long," he answered.  
  
  
Relena laughed at that, then twined her arms about his neck.  
  
  
"Your mind works in mysterious ways," she whispered into his ear, silently enjoying the chill-bumps that surfaced across his arm. "And I think being married to you is going to be most interesting."  
  
  
  
Heero looked at his clock, silently counting down. As the hour chimed seven, the doorbell rang, causing Heero to smile in response. Passing through the dining room, he smiled at the table, conspicuously set for fourteen.   
  
  
Pausing before the front door, Heero took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the barrage of questions that he was sure would follow. After a silent count of five he then opened the door, pasting on an appropriately surprised expression to the sight before his eyes.  
  
  
Before him stood a sheepish looking Duo and Hilde, followed by a slightly embarrassed Quatra, Dorothy on his arm, the ever silent Trowa, one stoic eyebrow raised, and a smiling Catherine, Sally, and Noin. Completing the group was a scowling Wufei and Zechs, with Lady Une standing off to one side. The only person that seemed to be missing was Iria, Trowa's wife and Quatra's sister.  
  
  
"Glad I could count on you, Duo," was all Heero said as he opened the door further. "I wasn't quite sure whether or not you'd run your mouth, but I'm glad to see that my hunch was correct."  
  
  
Heero turned just in time to see Hilde smack Duo on the back of the head, while everyone else simply glared. At that point Relena walked into the living room, an amused expression crossing her face.  
  
  
"What, is everyone trying to perfect the patented 'Heero Yuy Glare of Death'?" she asked lightly, breaking the ice.  
  
  
  
Sally smiled, crossing the room hug Relena.  
  
  
"No, it's just that Duo had us thinking something terrible had happened to you, that's all," she replied.  
  
  
Tilting her head to the side, Relena glanced at her brother, taking in the glares that he was sending Heero's way. Her smile widened.  
  
  
"Let me guess. After talking to Heero, Duo automatically jumped to the conclusion that something was wrong. And I bet that he thought I was pregnant, too. Right?" she asked rhetorically, looking at each individual.  
  
  
Duo's shoulders slumped forward as the glares increased.  
  
  
"How'd you guess?" he asked weakly.  
  
  
Heero suddenly re-appeared, having come from checking on the food.  
  
  
"Why do you think I told you and made it sound like a big secret? I knew if we simply asked everyone over for dinner you guys would be suspicious. Although I see that Iria didn't make it," he stated calmly.  
  
  
"Alexis wasn't feeling well, so she decided to stay home with her," Trowa replied, referring to his two year old daughter.  
  
  
Duo having placed himself out of hand's reach, perked up as a thought crossed his mind.  
  
  
"You did fix dinner, didn't you? And there's enough for everyone, right?" he asked eagerly, eyes alight with anticipation. Heero was the best cook that he knew, surpassing even Sally's abilities.  
  
  
Relena laughed, then made shooing gestures toward the dining room.   
  
  
"The food," she announced, "is served."  
  
  
  
  
Duo sat back, a contented look crossing his features. Hilde laughed, leaning over to pat his gently bulging stomach.  
  
  
"I trust you aren't going to explode?" she asked sweetly.  
  
  
Duo smiled, stretching in his seat.  
  
  
"Nope, give me a minute and I'll be ready for dessert. There is dessert, right?" he asked, shooting Relena a hopeful look.  
  
  
"Of course!" she laughed, beginning to clear the table. Heading toward the kitchen, she paused, then glanced back over her shoulder.  
  
  
"Heero, do you think you could give me a hand?" she asked casually.  
  
  
Nodding, he picked up the rest of the dishes before following her into the kitchen.  
  
  
Zechs glared after their retreating forms. Something wasn't right, his mind argued...  
  
  
"Something isn't right," he voiced, earning a glare from his wife.  
  
  
"Milliardo Peacecraft," she admonished, "stop being so paranoid. If something was wrong, Heero would let us know immediately!"  
  
  
Wufei silently agreed with the older man, but kept quite after Sally gave him 'the look' as he deemed it. Oh yes, he knew that look well. It said, 'say something and you'll find yourself on the couch tonight, mister,'.  
  
  
Inside the kitchen Relena giggled over the conversation.  
  
  
"He knows!" she whispered.  
  
  
"He suspects," Heero corrected.  
  
  
In Relena's eyes, the two were the one and the same, when her brother was involved. She turned to Heero, her stomach tight with anticipation.  
  
  
"Before or after desert?" she asked.  
  
  
A small grin crossed Heero's lips.  
  
  
"Oh, definitely before," he responded, before kissing her.   
  
  
"Come on, it's time to face the crowd."  
  
  
And so, armed with only three pies and thirteen forks, the couple prepared to do battle.   
  
  
  
  
  
Relena bided her time, waiting until Heero was at the opposite end of the table from Milliardo. Everyone was chatting quietly, paying no attention to Relena. After placing Trowa's dessert in front of him, she spoke up.  
  
  
"Heero and I are getting married."  
  
  
Hmm. Well, that was one way to get their attention. All talk instantly stopped, ten pairs of eyes locked onto her, then swung to look at Heero. Wufei, however, simply closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt a headache coming on.  
  
  
Relena, who had been glancing around the table, shifted her gaze to her brother as she saw him move. A red tinge was beginning to creep over his skin, and he jerked loose of Noin's restraining hand.  
  
  
"I'm going to kill you!" he cried, leaping for the other man's throat.  
  
  
Suddenly Relena was between them, one finger poking into her brother's chest. Glaring up at him, she accentuated each remark with a jab of her finger.  
  
  
"Now you listen here, Milliardo Peacecraft! During the war I put up with a lot of your bullshit! Now you are going to like this, and you are going to be happy for me, for us."  
  
  
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," he sputtered.  
  
  
Relena raised an eyebrow.  
  
  
"Oh, no? See if this doesn't refresh your memory. How about when you had Noin watch over me, but wouldn't let her tell me why? Or how about the second time that you tried to kill Heero, when you knew damn well I liked him! And onboard Libra - care to explain that? I was virtually a prisoner, and not ONCE did you visit me or try to explain your actions! And after Heero defeated you; did you take that graciously? NO! You had to be the hero once again, and let me think that you were dead for two years! I've put up with your childish behavior enough! You are going to accept this, like it, and if I don't see you smiling whenever we talk about, I won't be responsible for anything that happens!"  
  
  
With each accusation, Relena had forced Milliardo backwards, until his knees bumped into his chair. The last jab though, pushed him backwards, making him lose his balance and crash to the floor. Looking up at his sister from the floor, Milliardo could only stare in shock at his normally cheerful sibling.  
  
  
He shuddered. Now, however, she was anything but, and he mentally glared at Heero. He was sure that this was all his fault; his sister had never had a temper before. She wore the same look that Heero had worn in battle - the one that said any obstacles would quickly be dealt with. And - here he shuddered again - not only had she perfected the 'Glare of Death', she had taken it to a whole other level.  
  
  
Milliardo sighed, then reluctantly shook his head in agreement.   
  
  
"Good. Now sit up, shut up, and I only want to hear happy things come out of your mouth." Relena glared once more, then turned to finish serving dessert.  
  
  
Silence descended for a minute, then Duo turned to look at a slightly smirking Heero.  
  
  
"Well, buddy, I'd make sure that I never pissed her off," was all he had to say, before Hilde once more smacked the back of his head.  
  
  
"Ow! Now what did I say, Hilde?"  
  
**************************************************  
  
  
Remember - e-mail me with your thoughts about the story! 


	3. If She Doesn't Want the Money, Can I Hav...

  
Symbol of Honor  
  
Chapter 3: If she doesn't want the money, can I have it?  
  
By Lady SaffirE-mail: Rinoah7@cs.com  
  
Rating: PG  
  
"Kingdoms rise and fall, but only art is forever; thus another proverb from the mouth of Narsus." from The Heroic Legend of Arislan  
  
DISCLAIMER: :( That face says it all; I don't own Gundam Wing.  
  
*****************************************************  
  
  
Relena danced about the living room, humming a soft melody to herself. Since announcing her semi-retirement, along with her engagement, each day seemed more peaceful. If life continued to get even better, she felt that she would completely retire within the month. After all, she had more important things to think about.  
  
  
A knock, followed by the sound of the mail slot opening brought Relena out of her thoughts. Dodging the coffee table, she all but ran for the door. She loved getting mail - especially those oh-so-annoying sweepstakes entries. They were always worth a good laugh. Like she really needed even more money.  
  
  
Today's mail proved to be no exception. Two magazines, the odd bill...Relena quickly grabbed the small box that had come, checking its contents. Good, Heero's Christmas present had come. Continuing through the mail, Relena came upon a plain white envelope. Simply addressed to 'Miss Relena Darlian Peacecraft', it bore no postmark. 'Strange,' Relena thought. 'It's a bit early for the Postman's Christmas card.'  
  
  
Shrugging, Relena tore open the envelope, withdrawing a folded sheet of paper. Unfolding the parchment, Relena paled as she read its contents.  
  
  
  
My Dearest Relena:  
  
  
  
That was quite a waste of candles, don't you think? The proposal was very sweet though. However, don't you think that consuming an entire bottle of wine a bit much? Still, I suppose there was cause for celebration.  
  
  
PS-I'm still watching...  
  
  
  
Gasping, Relena clumsily picked up the telephone receiver, almost dropping it in her haste. Punching the speed-dial button, her eyes anxiously darted about the foyer as she listened to the telephone ring.  
  
  
  
  
  
Heero tapped his pencil against the report, taking bets with himself as to how long Duo would keep talking. A soft beeping filled the air, and with a start, Heero realized that it was his cell phone. Waving at Duo to continue, he answered the call, slightly glad for the interruption.  
  
  
"Heero?"  
  
  
The sound of Relena's fear-laden voice made Heero instantly regret his previous thought.  
  
  
"Relena? What's wrong?"  
  
  
Quatra and Sally were shooting concerned looks in his direction. Trowa raised an eyebrow, while Wufei merely snorted. Heero was oblivious to them all as he focused on the sound of Relena' voice.  
  
  
"Heero, I...there...I..." The sound of a crash, followed by Relena's scream, echoed through Heero's mind. Male laughter, low and taunting, faintly traveled across the line.  
  
  
"Relena?! Relena!"  
  
  
The meeting was abruptly forgotten as Heero stood, toppling his chair backward. At his cry every one had stood, each waiting for more information.  
  
  
"What's happened to Relena?"  
  
  
Swinging to face the question, Heero stared for a moment before his gaze focused on the four men that stood before him, each tensed, waiting to find out what had happened, each calmly planning revenge.  
  
  
"I don't know," Heero replied coldly, before sprinting out of the meeting room.  
  
  
Hopping onto his motorcycle, Heero hastily added his helmet while he turned on the machine. Gunning it, he peeled out of his parking space, barely missing the car that held Wufei, Sally, Duo, and Hilde.  
  
  
Roaring out onto the street, Heero turned to look at the bike that rode abreast of him. The darkened eye shield prevented him from meeting the green eyes that he knew were looking at him. The driver nodded once before turning to face the road. Behind Trowa, Quatra clung to his friend, sparing Heero an uncertain smile.  
  
  
  
  
  
Flying down the street that the Peacecraft residence faced, Heero quickly punched in the security code on the small keypad mounted on his motorcycle. Not even waiting for the gates to completely open, Heero pushed his bike through, shifting to a higher gear to allow for more speed. The ride up the long driveway seemed to take forever; however, Heero knew that in reality it only took seconds to reach the portico that covered the main entry.   
  
  
Barely remembering to turn off his motorcycle, Heero grabbed his gun, absently checking the ammunition. Trowa and Quatra did the same before motioning Heero to proceed them. Cautiously approaching the front door, Heero flattened himself against the sidewall, waiting for his two companions to place themselves. At their nod, he quickly pushed open the door.  
  
  
The sound that greeted their ears made Heero flinch. The human vocal cords were capable of producing a wide range of sounds, some more pleasant than others. This sound, though, was far from that. Keening noises that one might hear from a hurt animal floated through the air, occasionally interrupted by the strangled whimpers that broke through.   
  
  
"Relena?"  
  
  
Pushing his way inside, Heero allowed Trowa and Quatra to take watch as his entire attention was focused on the sight before him. Relena was lying on the marble floor, one arm flung out as if to fend an attacker off. Shallow cuts and slashes criss-crossed her body, blood pooling underneath her prone body. Her right arm was bent at an unnatural angle, a pale shard of bone protruding through the skin.   
  
  
Heero took stock of her other injuries, noting the wide gash that crossed her normally smooth brow. The wound was still bleeding profusely, and with an oath Heero tore a piece of his shirt off to try and staunch the blood flow. Motioning Quatra over to hold the makeshift bandage, Heero continued his inventory, finally reaching Relena's left hand.  
  
  
It was obvious that several deep cuts had been made to the tender flesh of the palm. The blood had begun to clot though, the alternating darker patches of dried blood uneasily floating on the still fresh blood that continued to leak slowly out of the wound.   
  
  
At that point Sally arrived, medical bag in tow. With a no-nonsense attitude she set to work, quickly checking each and every contusion before applying an alcohol pad to the area. Gingerly skirting the broken arm, Sally picked up the left hand, wincing every time Relena twitched or whimpered.   
  
  
"Concussion?"  
  
  
Sally stopped for a moment, eyeing the head wound.  
  
  
"Possible. Keep her awake and talking."  
  
  
Really wishing that he could keep Relena out of pain's way, at least for a little longer, Heero bent to the uncomfortable task that he faced.  
  
  
"Relena. Relena, I need you to open your eyes and look at me, ok?"  
  
  
Dark lashes began to flutter against skin that Heero was sure hadn't been that pale yesterday. Her mouth opened and closed, trying to voice some unnamed word.   
  
  
"...ro?"  
  
  
"Yes, Relena! I'm right here. Listen to me. Sally's here and she's trying to help you, all right? So I need you not to move unless it really hurts."  
  
  
With that, Relena slowly opened her eyes, wincing as the bright sunlight fell across her face. Trying to smile, Relena gave a small cry of pain as the movement tore at the broken skin. Wincing, Heero bent to place a feather light kiss on her nose, the only part of her face that was unhurt.  
  
  
Movement caught Heero's eye as he turned to face a grim Sally. Nodding at her unvoiced request, he began to slowly ease his arms about Relena's fragile body. Each slight movement caused Relena to whimper slightly, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. Heero could only wince and murmur soothing words into her ear.  
  
  
Crossing the threshold, Heero and Sally came face to face with a frowning Duo.  
  
  
"We haven't found anything so far. Me, Trowa, Hilde and Quatra are gonna stay and help the police when they get here. We'll meet you guys at the hospital."  
  
  
  
  
  
Heero was exhausted. The day had progressed from bad to worse, and it was only four in the afternoon. He wasn't quite sure that he could survive anything else. The doctor, with Sally attending, had immediately set to repairing Relena's broken arm. Heero had been by her side every step of the way, and had the battle scars to prove it.   
  
He really had to have Relena cut her nails, he thought ruefully, as he examined the crescent shaped wounds on the back of his hands. The frown that tugged at his lips brought a sharp reminder of his torn lip. The sight of Relena, eyes wide with pain and something else that Heero couldn't quite place, begging him silently to do something, anything, had caused him to bite through his lip to keep from crying along with her.  
  
  
For now, though, Relena was asleep, and Heero could drop the mask of pure concern that he had worn all day. In its place settled his battle face, his eyes hardening as he plotted how to find and kill Relena's attacker. While he understood and even managed to (barely!) sympathize with ordinary terrorists, he knew where they were coming from. After living with war for so long, it was hard to suddenly live in peace. And so they reacted the only way they knew how.  
  
  
Yes, Heero decided, that was understandable and even acceptable. After all, they were basically signing his paycheck. What he could not forgive though, was this private assault on his and Relena's life. The general public understood the need for privacy, they respected it. This person...oh, this person had crossed the line, with far too large of a step.  
  
  
Kissing Relena gently on the forehead, Heero turned to leave. The others were waiting for him so they could discuss everything that Duo and the others had found. Nodding to the private guard posted at the door, Heero stopped, eyeing the soldier more carefully. He had personally trained the new recruit, teaching him every trick that he knew. Heero was pleased to note that the young man, a boy, really, was carefully tracking all movement in the hallway.  
  
  
"Guard her," he muttered as he passed by. He was rewarded with a crisp 'Sir!' as the guard snapped to attention.  
  
  
  
  
Conversation broke off as he entered the small waiting room. Scattered about the area, each person was intently studying the police report provided to them.   
  
  
Well, almost every person. At the sight of Heero, Milliardo Peacecraft stood, stalking over to stand face-to-face with his silent comrade. Interrupted from a meeting with government officials, Milliardo had begun to grow frantic at Hilde's babble until Duo had broken in, bluntly stating the emergency. Relena had been attacked. He was to meet them at the hospital.   
  
  
"I'm going to see Relena."  
  
  
Brushing past the former pilot, Milliardo stopped when Heero's voice reached his ears.  
  
  
"Don't wake her up, Zechs."  
  
  
Not even bothering to fully turn around, the older man simply turned his head to the side, then continued down the hallway, his steps ringing out against the tile flooring.  
  
  
Heero eyed the retreating back coldly, only turning back into the room when a hand touched his shoulder in sympathy. Sally Po's worried face looked up at him, and Heero idly wondered when had he grown taller than this woman who had been his only trusted ally during the war. Sally smiled at him before leading him to a chair, placing herself in the one beside it.  
  
  
Turning to flip through several medical charts, Sally quickly found the wanted picture, a photocopy of Relena's mangled left hand.  
  
  
"Heero," she said quietly, "do you recognize this? It looks familiar, but I can't quite place it."  
  
  
Heero felt a tidal wave of bitter emotions begin to well up in his heart. The attacker had known what he was doing when he set to work; the symbol had to be carved deeply enough into the flesh to ensure a permanent scare without threatening the health of the surrounding tissue. A tiny sprig of regret had begun to grow, yet Heero firmly squashed it with a mental stomp. Now was not the time for emotions. Only after this sick individual had been caught would he allow himself to fully feel what had happened.   
  
  
Feeling the silent urging of his friends, Heero once again felt a tiny pang, and this time was unable to completely erase it. Relena would carry this wound with her forever, a gruesome reminder of one person's obsession.  
  
  
"Heero? Do you know what it means?" Sally pressed.  
  
  
Heero refused to meet anyone's eyes as he spoke.  
  
  
"It means Death."  
  
  
  
  
  
A stunned silence greeted his announce, then Duo jumped to his feet, fists clenched at his sides. Normally a cheerful man, Duo had grown to consider Relena as something as a much loved, and spoiled, younger sister. After the war, he and Heero had zealously guarded the privacy of the young peacekeeper, and Duo saw Relena's assault as a slap in the face.  
  
  
"Death?! I don't think so! That's my trademark, and I'll be damned if I let some psycho take Relena before her time!"  
  
  
Heero stood, his eyes tracking across the face of his best friend. Silently judging the honesty of his statement, Heero nodded his head once, a short jerky motion that sent wild, dark bangs skittering into his eyes.  
  
  
Silence descended upon the room as the other occupants watched the two men. Never blinking, their gazes never wavering, another moment of silence passed before Heero held out his hand. Duo glanced down briefly, then looked back up as he firmly placed his own hand into that of his friend's. Neither were aware of anything else.  
  
  
A cool breeze whispered past Heero's hand, followed by a comforting warmth. Turning his head to the side, the steady gaze of Quatra Raberba Winner looked back at him, blue eyes narrowed and cold. Relena had become Quatra's ally and confidant, a friendly face at otherwise dull, two-faced political meetings. This attack had happened against someone that was practically a member of the Winner family, and the Winner family did not easily forget past insults.  
  
  
Following Quatra was Trowa, the silence surrounding the young man deeper than usual. He truly respected Relena; she was one of the few people that Trowa knew who would bravely stand by her friends no matter what was said against them. Following the tide of his thoughts came the image of his wife, and his stomach tightened as he realized just how easily it could have been Iria.  
  
  
Wufei paused thoughtfully, his thoughts centered on the woman that had, at first, provoked only disgust from him. He thought that she knew nothing of honor, and debts that only blood could repay.  
  
  
It had taken two and a half years for Relena to prove herself to him. Heero had insulted the memory of Meiran, in a way that could only be absolved through blood. And Heero, having accepted the challenge to duel, had known that blood would be shed.  
  
  
The memory of the fight still caused Wufei to smile in grim satisfaction. It had been Heero who had underestimated his opponent, and Heero who had landed badly on his right ankle, causing it to twist with a loud crunching sound. About to deliver the final blow, Wufei had stopped in surprise and anger, when Relena suddenly appeared between them.  
  
  
"Move aside, woman," he had growled.  
  
  
Staring into her eyes, Wufei had not been able to find any trace of fear. Instead, he had found a fierce loyalty to the injured man, and a desire to understand what drove them to fight.  
  
  
"I'm afraid that I cannot do that, Chang Wufei," she had replied calmly, coolly.  
  
  
"It is a matter of honor that stands between us," he had begun, only to be interrupted.  
  
  
"And is it honorable and commonly practiced among the Dragon Clan to strike a foe that cannot defend himself?" She had taunted, knowing full well that the Dragon Clan was no more.  
  
  
His breath had turned into a gasp, his eyes narrowing in anger. Looking at her once more, it was then that Wufei realized what Relena had done. Knowing full well that honor must be protected, she had interfered, trying to show both men that while honor must be defended, anger did not necessarily have to wield the avenging sword.  
  
  
Bowing respectfully to show her that he understood, he had once more drawn his katana, blade flashing in the sunlight, before him.  
  
  
"You have insulted the memory of my ancestors," he had proclaimed, looking to her for weakness, and finding none.  
  
  
"And for that, I am sorry, and ask that my honor be cleansed."  
  
  
And so it had. Wufei carefully set the edge of his blade against her hand, cleanly slicing the soft skin. Blood had immediately begun to well from the cut, yet Relena made no move to bandage the injury until Heero too had littered the ground with his own blood.  
  
  
Wufei's anger at Relena's attack intensified when he remembered that it had been her left hand that he had cut. Placing his own over that of Trowa's, he too nodded with understanding of what he had accepted. One of their own had been attacked, and they would track this assailant down, so that justice could be served.  
  
  
And in their case, justice knew no mercy.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sally worked very hard trying not to roll her eyes in disgust. Yes, Relena had been attacked. Yes, they were dealing with a crazed individual. And yes, she could understand that each man wanted to avenge Relena. But did they have to do it with so much testosterone?  
  
  
On the heels of that thought came the sharp reminder that these men had not even reached their twentieth birthday yet, with the exception of Trowa. At the point in their lives when they should have been worrying about girlfriends and social events, they had had to focus on the bigger picture. Like staying alive.   
  
  
About to speak up, Sally was glad when another distraction presented itself. Serenity Alexis Barton, most usually known as Alexis, rushed into the waiting room, making a beeline for her father.  
  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
  
Skidding to a halt, the perceptive two year old realized something important was happening, something that was making her daddy and uncles look unhappy. And if they were unhappy that usually meant that she was in trouble.  
  
  
"Daddy?" She sniffled, trying to decide on whether full-blown tears were called for. About to wind up, Alexis squeaked in surprise when a pair of arms picked her up.  
  
  
"What is it, Alexis?"   
  
  
Remembering her mission, the small child shoved a plush toy into her father's face, when movement caught her eye. She saw her Uncle Heero looking out the window, a sad frown crossing his mouth.  
  
  
After an impatient, "Daddy, down!", Alexis toddled across the room before wrapping herself about the leg of Heero. Wordlessly Heero picked her up, the two staring eye to eye before Alexis said,  
  
  
"Lumpy wants to stay with Aunt 'Lena."  
  
  
Lumpy the stuffed Camel had been a birthday present from Quatra and Dorothy, and served as the child's security blanket. Nobody was allowed to touch Lumpy unless Alexis said so, and Heero made a note to bring Relena's bear to her later tonight.  
  
  
At that moment, Iria Barton and Dorothy Catalonia entered the waiting room on the heels of the Head Nurse.  
  
  
"Mr. Yuy? Ms. Peacecraft is awake, and demanding to see you, sir."  
  
  
Heero simply nodded and walked out the door, Alexis in tow. Duo blinked in surprise, then took off after his best friend.  
  
  
"Hey! Wait for me, Heero!"  
  
  
Quatra was about to follow when Dorothy spoke up.  
  
  
"Before we do anything, someone needs to make a press statement. The rumors are flying about Relena's attack. It would be better to speak openly about what happened then let people make up the more interesting details," she suggested delicately.  
  
  
"You're right. We'll let Zechs handles this. After all, she is his sister."  
  
  
  
  
At that moment, Milliardo Peacecraft sat at his sister's bedside, driving her crazy.  
  
  
"For the last time, Milliardo Peacecraft, I will be all right! Yes, my arm hurts, my hand REALLY hurts, and I don't think I have an inch of skin that won't be black and blue by tomorrow, but I swear that I will get out of this bed and kick you if you don't stop asking what you can do to help!"  
  
  
Both siblings broke off as Heero, Duo, and Alexis entered the room. Upon seeing her aunt, Alexis immediately tried to throw herself onto the bed, but Heero caught her.  
  
  
"Gently," he admonished, easing her onto the bed.  
  
  
Under the watchful eye of her three uncles, Alexis sat for a moment, looking in awe at the equipment in the room. Feeling Relena shift on the bed, Alexis looked back, seeing her aunt frown in pain.   
  
  
"Can I kiss it an' make it better?" Alexis questioned innocently. She had all ready laid Lumpy on the pillow beside Relena's head.  
  
  
"You can try sweetie, but I'm not sure how much one kiss is going to help," Relena said, trying to blink back tears. She really wished that a kiss would make it all better.  
  
  
Glancing between Relena and Heero, Alexis declared, "Then Uncle Heero can do it. I heard you tell'em that he could kiss good - didn't she, Uncle Heero?"  
  
  
Duo laughed at Relena's mortified expression, while Zechs glared at his sister's fiancée. Heero simply smirked, his anger at the situation momentarily forgotten. The smirk disappeared just as quickly as it had come when he saw Relena's chin start to tremble, her jaw clenched, trying to control her emotions in front of other people.  
  
  
Catching Duo's eye, Heero titled his head in Relena's direction, then looked down at Alexis. Catching his meaning, Duo bent down to swoop the young child into the air. Smiling slightly at her shrieks of laughter, he looked up at her from her perch on his shoulders.  
  
  
"Are you hungry, monster? 'Cause I know I am!"  
  
  
Milliardo had also caught Heero's subtle request, and he had to agree. The shock and fear of the attack had worn off, leaving Relena to deal with the emotional backlash of the assault. She was looking to Heero now for comfort, and, as much as he wished otherwise, Milliardo Peacecraft knew that the former pilot was the only one that could calm and soothe Relena's fears.   
  
  
Granting Relena the privacy she desired, Milliardo walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Wearily closing his eyes, he leaned against the wall, suddenly wishing that he could simply disappear and lead a normal life. He was growing tired of chasing terrorists, dealing with politicians, and constantly fearing for the safety of everyone he held dear. He just wanted some peace.  
  



	4. Oh Porter, I Have Some Luggage I Need Yo...

Symbol of Honor  
  
Chapter 4:  
  
By Lady Saffir  
  
Rating:  
  
DISCLAIMER:(sung to the Oscar Mayer hotdog song, and quite off-key)  
Eh hem....  
Oh, I wish I were a Gundam Wing owner, for that is what I'd really like to be,  
For if I owned this really awesome cartoon,  
Then I'd be rolling in lots of sweet money!  
*****************************************************  
  
  
Relena stared at the palm of her left hand, unable to ignore the dark thoughts that were swirling about her mind. Three months had passed since the attack, and to Relena, it had been the longest three months of her life. Christmas had passed in a blur; which, she privately said to herself, had been because of the large amount of painkillers that were needed. Even now her hand hurt, a dull ache that seemed to spread through her arm, silently creeping upwards until blossoming into a migraine in her head.   
  
The brisk March wind wafted through the garden, carrying on it the sound of a child's laughter. Relena had begun to spend a large amount of time with Alexis, because the small girl's laughter had pushed the shadows back, allowing life to be bearable. And realizing this, Iria had taken to inviting Relena over several times a week.  
  
"Aunt 'Lena? Aunt Lena!"  
  
Forcing a smile to cross her face, Relena stood, watching as Alexis skipped ahead of her nurse. Ignoring the warnings of the older woman, Alexis continued to skip and jump until she landed at her aunt's feet.  
  
"Aunt Lena! Come on, I wanna feed the duckies!"   
  
A genuine smile found its way onto her lips as Relena allowed herself to be pulled along.  
  
  
  
  
Iria sighed, tiredly rubbing her eyes as the numbers began to blur. Quatra had asked her to look over a proposed take-over, and Iria was finding it difficult to pay attention. Spring had finally arrived, and with it came the urge to simply bask in the sun's warm rays.   
  
'Hmm...not a bad idea...I could still look the papers over...'  
  
About to stand up, Iria tensed when she sensed someone else in the room. Relaxing at the soft chuckle that filled the air, she turned to confront her smiling husband.  
  
"And what's the big idea, sneaking up on me like that?" She questioned, laughing as he swung her through the air.  
  
"I must not have surprised you that much if you could tell I was here," Trowa responded, bending down to steal a kiss.  
  
Breaking apart, Iria smiled as Trowa frowned in disappointment.  
  
"Glutton. You'll get more of that, later. But for now, how about having lunch with your extremely hyper daughter?"   
  
Easily catching up to the older woman, Trowa had to smile. Alexis was nothing like him; instead, she chose to laugh and chatter like a squirrel, demanding attention and love from those around her. He wouldn't have it any other way.  
  
Descending the stairs, Iria paused for a moment when she saw Sally and Wufei waiting at the bottom. Eyeing the couple speculatively, Iria had to wonder what was up. Sally looked normal, her twin braids casually slung over her shoulders, her Preventer's uniform immaculate. Wufei, on the other hand, appeared to have a case of the fidgets. Not that he was doing anything conspicuous like shifting from foot to foot. Still. Something was up.  
  
  
  
  
  
Relena watched as Alexis threw another piece of bread to a duck, laughing in delight as he eagerly bit into the bread. They had been visiting the ducks now for fifteen minutes, and from experience Relena knew that they would probably be there another twenty.   
  
Her attention shifted from the feeding birds to the child when Alexis gave a small cry of distress. Rubbing at a red mark on her arm, the toddler looked about, trying to spot the source of the pain.  
  
"Sweetie, what's wrong? Did you get stung by a bee?" Relena questioned, bending down to have a better look. The red mark was beginning to puff up a bit, red streaks shooting across the lightly tanned skin. Placing a gentle kiss on the injury, she stood, saying,  
  
"There! That should hold unti..."  
  
Without warning something flew through the air, slamming into Relena's outstretched hand before skittering into the grass. Stooping to inspect the object, Relena bit back a gasp when she saw the rock.   
  
About the size of a quarter, the rock seemed innocent enough, appearing like something that had been scooped out of the ornamental garden that surrounded the pond. However, Relena knew two things.  
  
Rocks don't throw themselves through the air.  
  
Her attacker had never been caught.  
  
Pulling Alexis into the relative safety of her arms, Relena began to run as rocks began to rain through the air. Most struck the fleeing woman's turned back, though some managed to find Alexis' head and arms as a target.   
  
  
  
  
  
Trowa stuck his head into the living room, expecting to be attacked by an over-zealous two-year-old. When no such assault occurred, he blinked. The TV was blaring one of his daughter's favorite cartoons, and coloring books were scattered about various toys. He blinked again. It kind of scared him, that at two years and six months of age his child had already perfected the art of destroying a room.  
  
"Iria, where's Alexis?" He called over his shoulder, grabbing the remote and switching the television off.  
  
"At the pond, with Relena I believe," Iria answered, walking into the room, with Sally and Wufei in tow.   
  
Trowa sighed, then headed out the door. If he knew his daughter, it would take an act of god to pry her away from her ducks.  
  
  
The four adults took their time heading for the pond, content to enjoy the warm Spring day. Light banter passed between them, although Iria was dying to ask Wufei what was wrong. Grabbing hold of Trowa's hand while the other couple argued over something, she began to swing their twined hands back and forth, allowing herself a bit childish display. Grinning quirkily at her husband, Iria was about to say something when a sound cut into her conscious. It was the sound of someone being afraid, and it sounded like her daughter.  
  
Trowa looked at his wife with mutual understanding before starting to sprint in the direction of the cries.  
  
  
  
  
Relena stumbled as another rock hit her behind the knee, causing her right leg to buckle. With her cast and still healing left hand, carrying Alexis and running was difficult at best, and the child wasn't helping things at all. Desperate to flee whatever was after her, she had continued to struggle and cry, each time growing louder and more shrill when a rock scored a hit.  
  
Huffing for breath, Relena ran two more steps before a large rock caught her at the base of her neck, another one finding home between her shoulder blades. Her balance, precarious to start with, began to waver, and with a small cry Relena felt herself begin to fall, unable to catch herself and maintain a firm grip on her squirming burden. Closing her eyes to the inevitable, Relena waited for the bone-jarring thud that would occur when she struck the earth.   
  
At the last minute a pair of strong arms encircled her, cushioning both herself and Alexis from the fall. Looking up into the concerned eyes of Trowa Barton, Relena could only sob in relief.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Heero fought his enemy viciously, determined to show the other soldier why he had earned the nickname 'Perfect Soldier'. Swinging about to confront the on-coming blow, Heero paused when he heard a footfall behind him. Stopping his sparring partner with an upraised hand, he turned to find Lady Une standing behind him.  
  
Raising a delicate eyebrow, Lady Une merely waited until Heero had dismissed his pupil and grabbed a waiting towel from the bench. Gesturing him out into the hallway, they began to walk, each wondering what the other was thinking. Heero however, was content to wait until his commanding officer deigned to start talking.  
  
Finally, Une could take it no longer. The stubborn man had the patience of saint. Stopping abruptly in the middle of the crowded hallway, Lady Une came straight to the point. She had never been one to mince words, and in the past three years she had found that the Gundam pilots had even less need of flowery speeches than she did.  
  
"Relena's been attacked."  
  
Heero paused from scrubbing his face with the towel, then slowly looked up.  
  
"What did you say?" he growled.  
  
Lady Une took a breath and began to explain.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Relena stumbled into the Preventer's Headquarters, her feet automatically carrying her in the direction of Heero's office. He really wasn't going to be happy about this, she reflected. Not even noticing the looks that she, along with Wufei and Sally, were receiving, Relena instead bent her mind to the task of convincing Heero that she was all right, and that the jerk that had done this would eventually slip up, and then he could have a field day taking out his frustrations on the unknown man. At least, that was how she hoped the conversation would go.  
  
Reaching his office door, she silently opened it, bracing herself for his glare. Usually it didn't affect her, but in her precarious emotional state at the moment, Relena was afraid that she would simply break down, either in tears or in anger.   
  
Heero was looking out of the floor to ceiling windows, observing the hurried pedestrians on the sidewalk. He didn't bother turning at her entrance, choosing to wait until she approached him. And she did.  
  
Moving to stand by his side, Relena gently placed her head on his shoulder, wrapping her left and newly freed right arms about his waist. They stood in silence for a moment before Heero turned, pulling Relena into the protective shelter of his arms.  
  
"What are we going to do, Heero? If he had just attacked me, I would understand. But he purposely hit Alexis! And I cannot allow that," she cried, the last part of her statement lost in the folds of his uniform. She just wanted to stay there forever, knowing that Heero would not allow anything to happen to her, drawing strength from his embrace.  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow at the 'we', but wisely chose to leave that argument for a later date.   
  
"We'll think of something," he said soothingly, absently running his fingers through her loose hair. Pulling her closer, he gently cupped her head in his hands, slowly tilting her head back to look at him.  
  
"For now though, I propose that we concentrate on something a little bit happier, what do you say?" Heero asked, leaning in to place a light kiss on her nose.  
  
"How, Heero? I don't think a stroll through the park, no matter how romantic you make it, is going to help," Relena stated, pulling her head out of his hands so that she could rest her forehead against his chest.  
  
"Not even if it were the famous rose gardens in Tokyo?"  
  
Relena's head whipped up at the last word. Giving him a searching look, she managed to croak out, "What?"  
  
A smirk found its way onto Heero's lips as he looked down into her surprised face.  
  
"I made the hotel reservations early this morning, and it seemed that I had a little bit of ESP, don't you think? Quatra's going to lend us one of his smaller planes, and your advisors and ministers have all ready been notified, as have Lady Une and your brother. The only thing that you have to do is pack and get on that plane with me tomorrow morning,"   
  
"I...but...my work...." Relena's protests died a quick death when she paused to actually think about Heero's plan. Since the attacks she had been driving herself to complete her work, often not going to bed until the wee hours of the morning. Yes, Relena decided, she could definitely use a break.  
  
"So, are you gonna help me pack, or what?"  
  
  
  
Heero groaned under the weight of the luggage. He knew that Relena would pack a lot, but never in his wildest dreams (and his dreams got pretty wild sometimes, he thought) would she need this amount of clothes for two weeks. It made him kinda glad that he had managed to squeeze all of his clothes into one suitcase.   
  
"Jeez, Relena! Are you planning on moving to Japan, or just visiting for a very long time?!"  
  
Relena tossed a sly smile over her shoulders as she proceeded him down the stairs.  
  
"You never know, I might decide that I like Japan more than Europe."  
  
He could only gawk at that.  
  
  
  
  
Heero settled back into his seat, sighing in relief. The take-off had went well, the good-byes had been brief but sweet, and Lady Une had promised only to call if something major came up. Life couldn't get any better. For now, he was content to simply sit back and enjoy the ride.   
  
At that moment Relena breezed into the room, clad in only pair of sweatpants and tee shirt. Watching as his lover slowly made her way to his side, Heero couldn't help but marvel at how well his clothes seemed to fit her. He still couldn't get over the fact that Relena didn't own a pair of sweatpants. He thought that was standard lounging gear.  
  
Plopping down into Heero's lap, Relena laughed at his expression. Curling up, she slowly ran her fingers through his hair before curling one hand about his neck. The other hand was content to draw idle patterns on his chest.  
  
"Surprised? I hope you don't mind," she stated, planting a small kiss at the edge of his shirt.   
  
Heero sighed, rubbing Relena's back, taking his turn in raining small kisses on her slight form. He was thankful now that Quatra had also provided a pilot with the airplane. It allowed him to concentrate on more...important matters. Like distracting a certain Vice-Foreign Ministers from dark thoughts.   
  
Heero smiled, turning so that he could kiss Relena fully. He intended for this trip to be a vacation, and he knew the perfect way to start their trip off.   
****************************   
  
E-mail me! You can reach me at either:  
  
Rinoah7@cs.com  
LadyYuy3@netscape.net  
  



	5. This Brings New Meaning to the Phrase, '...

  
Symbol of Honor  
  
Chapter: 5 Can everybody hear the happy cash registers? I know I can!  
  
  
By Lady Saffir  
  
DISCLAIMER:(sung to the Oscar Mayer hotdog song, and quite off-key)  
Eh hem....  
Oh, I wish I were a Gundam Wing owner, for that is what I'd really like to be,  
For if I owned this really awesome cartoon,  
Then I'd be rolling in lots of sweet money!  
  
  
Eh hem...my quote for the day:  
  
  
  
"To err is human but to really foul things up requires a computer."  
*****************************************************  
  
  
Relena blinked as the bright sunlight washed over her face. After spending quite a bit of time 'relaxing' once they had landed, she had fallen asleep next to Heero, lulled into oblivion by his gentle snoring. Who would have thought, she mused, that the man dubbed the 'Perfect Soldier' had allergies? Brought out of her reverie by a slight snort, and turned in time to have her nose squashed by Heero as he rolled over.  
  
"Mpphhh!"  
  
Blinking at the sound, Heero woke up to find a slightly annoyed Relena looking up at him, rubbing her sore nose.  
  
"Dat hut," she stated, her words muffled by the hand that was across her mouth. "Kib it?"  
  
Not comprehending, the meaning soon became clear when Relena reached up to kiss his own nose in demonstration.  
  
"Oh, kiss it. Right?"  
  
Heero bent to place a light kiss on his companion's nose, then proceeded to rain kisses down upon her cheeks, brow, eyelids, until finally coming to her lips. There he began his work in earnest, gently exploring the parted lips that greeted him. Kissing was the best part, he fuzzily thought, especially when his efforts were rewarded by that soft sigh-turned-moan that Relena did.  
  
Breaking their kiss, he then placed soft kisses along her jaw-line, ending at the sensitive spot right behind Relena's ear. Chillbumps appeared, as if summoned by magic, any time that Heero would so much as brush his fingers across the spot. And he was definitely doing more than running his fingers about.  
  
Relena gave a soft sigh at his attentions, then blinked up at him sexily.  
  
"So, are we gonna stay in bed all day, or are we gonna actually SEE the scenery?" she teased, running her fingers through his hair.  
  
Heero sighed, knowing full-well that what Relena really meant was, 'when are we going shopping?' He rolled over then sat up, reaching over to slap the still half-asleep woman next to him on the bottom.  
  
"All right, get up. Do you think you can manage to shower and be ready in half an hour?"  
  
Standing, Relena crossed over to stand before him, then gave a saucy grin.   
  
"I don't knowww...." she teased, proceeding to the bathroom. Along the way she shed her sleeping shorts and tank top. Duo had given them to her as a Christmas gift, laughing at his own joke. The shorts and top were a soft pink, while 'Princess' was boldly scrawled across the front of the top. Relena turned to look at Heero.  
  
"So, are you going to help speed the process up, or are you going to let me use up all the hot water?"  
  
Taking the invitation to heart, Heero practically zoomed into the bathroom, swinging Relena into his arms as he passed her.  
  
Heero settled Relena onto a small chair, then quickly stripped of his sleeping shorts. He began to run the water for a bath before eyeing the display of assorted bath oils.   
  
He finally settled for one of his favorites, a pale green bubble bath whose scent reminded him of green tea. After adding a liberal dose to the water, he then turned to Relena, picked her up and stepped into the waiting bath.  
  
The bathtub, an ancient, claw-footed affair, easily held both of them. A slight modification had turned the bathtub into a small whirlpool, and Heero could only sigh in appreciation. Settling Relena between his legs, he tugged gently, pulling her back to lean against his chest.  
  
Heero scooted forward slightly, relaxing backwards until his own head could use the back of the tub for a headrest. His arms gently encircled Relena's waist, and he smiled to himself as she twined their hands together.   
  
They relaxed in silence for a time, his thoughts primarily on how to keep Relena distracted, and she on how to keep herself distracted.  
  
"So...what are we going to do now that we're here?" Relena ventured slowly, unsure as to whether or not Heero had actually PLANNED past the getting here point. Picking up a loofah sponge to bathe her with, he answered her as he slowly began to soap her body.   
  
"Well, to start with, I thought we'd walk around, and if you REALLY want to," and here he sighed theatrically, "I guess we could do a little bit of shopping," he said, gently running the sponge over her legs. At the moment all he wanted to do was concentrate on the task at hand, and let the future worry about itself.   
  
"Heero, I want to do whatever you want to do. It doesn't really matter to me - although some shopping would be nice. With you actually participating," she said, with a teasing note in her voice.  
  
Heero smiled at that.   
  
"All right. How about we walk around, grab a late lunch, and then see what there is to see?"  
  
"Perfect. Where are we going?"  
  
Heero considered the options for several minutes as he worked his way across Relena's back. He didn't really want to make formal plans. The whole point of this adventure - besides getting the wedding details in order - was spontaneity.  
  
Deciding on a plan, Heero spoke as he idly washed the suds away.  
  
"Why don't we walk out of the hotel doors, turn left, and walk until we have to call the hotel for a ride back? And that way we'll have someone to help me carry all of those bags and boxes of stuff that I know you are going to buy."  
  
Relena had to smile at that.  
  
"And how long did it take you to come up with that plan?"  
  
"Hours. I spent the entire flight planning how to be spontaneous."  
  
Relena turned in the water, eyes wide.  
  
"I believe, Mr. Yuy, that you just made a joke."  
  
Heero touched the tip of her nose with his finger.  
  
"And I believe, Ms. Peacecraft, that you have soap bubbles on your nose."  
  
Seriousness put aside, the two lovers began a bubble battle, each trying to place bubbles on the other in the most outlandish places. For every time Relena created bubble earrings for Heero, he retaliated by giving her bubble eyebrows. The battle continued until Relena collapsed against Heero's chest, laughing too hard to continue.   
"I...wish I had...a camera," she gasped.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at that.  
  
"Sounds kinky."  
  
Relena swatted at him, trying to still her laughter.  
  
"Is that all you think about?"  
  
Standing, Heero pulled Relena up with him, turning on the showerhead. Cold water began to run over the couple, causing Relena to shriek and try to avoid the freezing water. Heero obligingly allowed her to use him for a shield, turning his back so that the frigid water coursed down his spine.   
  
"Actually, I only think about that ninety percent of the time," he informed her, shifting slightly so that Relena could avoid the shower.   
  
"So you only think about me ninety percent of the time? What about the other ten percent?" she pouted.  
  
"Oh no," he assured her, "that's only when I'm on a mission. Any other time you are the only thing on my mind."  
  
She stared at him, impressed.  
  
"You only think about your missions that little? Heaven help the person that crosses you when you devote your full attention."  
  
About to add another comment, Heero cut her off, fully intent on his newest mission: to kiss the living daylights out of Relena Darlian Peacecraft.   
  
Relena, so caught up in kissing Heero back, failed to notice that he had shifted his weight. However, she snapped back to reality when the cold water hit her back.  
  
"HEERO YUY!"  
  
Heero broke the kiss, once again laughing as Relena glared up at him.  
  
"Enough, woman. You're wearing me out," he said, lightly swatting her across the rear.   
  
Turning off the shower, he then proceeded to dry both himself and Relena, before once more sweeping her off her feet. Striding back into the bedroom, he unceremoniously dumped her onto the sheets before crawling in after her.   
  
**********************************************  
  
  
"I thought that we were only going to take half an hour to get dressed. So why is it," and here Heero had to squint to see the clock, "three o'clock? - and we're still in bed? Dear god, this is a first for me!"  
  
Relena giggled, turning to snuggle into Heero's side.  
  
"You're the one that threw me back onto the bed. I just figured that it was you being 'spontaneous' again."  
  
Heero mock growled, then pulled himself and Relena out of the bed. Shoving some clothes in her direction, he shooed her into the bathroom, then shut the door on her protesting face.   
  
"Heero? Why did you just do that?"  
  
Heero leaned against the door, pulling on his jeans as he answered.  
  
"Simple. If I don't see you getting dressed, then I won't be tempted to keep you from getting dressed. Now hurry up and fix your hair or make-up or whatever it is that you do that takes so long."  
  
An indignant Relena stuck her head out the door.   
  
"I actually care what my hair looks like. Unlike a certain person that I know..." she trailed off, sticking her tongue out at his answering smirk.  
  
"I don't need to spend large quantities of time to make myself look good - it occurs naturally," he retorted.  
  
Relena's eyes grew wide. Sputtering, she reached backwards, not even looking to see what she was grabbing. Without thought she hurled the object as hard as she could, and succeeded in hitting her target.  
  
Heero's own eyes flew open in amazement. Dusting powder now coated his face, clinging to his eyelashes, eyebrows, lips, and liberally coated his bangs.  
  
Relena threw her own smirk at the stunned man. That would teach him to make smart remarks about her dressing process.  
********************************************  
  
  
Heero staggered into their suite, his arms laden with bags. Six hours had passed since their departure, and Heero was definitely feeling the full effects. Especially his poor arms.  
  
Hearing the sound of the vidphone activating, he turned in time to be greeted by a grinning Milliardo Peacecraft.  
  
"Are you regretting this trip yet?"  
  
"No, not yet...although I might be by the end of the week," Heero grinned ruefully, absently running his fingers through his hair.  
  
"I bet. Let me know if she's about to bankrupt you...speaking of which, is the shopping demon around?"  
  
Relena, having snuck up behind Heero, popped her head around his arm to glare at her older brother.  
  
"Quiet, you! I'll have you know that everything that I bought today was wedding oriented...except for that one pink shirt...and that pair of sandals...and a hat..." Relena trailed off as Milliardo burst into laughter.  
  
"Very wedding oriented. Especially the hat. Are you preparing for a bad hair day?" he teased, glad to see the laughter back in his sister's eyes. Whoever was after her had caused the two of them many sleepless nights - she, fretting, pacing, worrying about which loved one would be hurt next; he calming her, holding her while she cried, and planning with Heero on how to solve their little 'problem'.  
  
Heero, having placed his burdens on the living room couch, had returned, wrapping one arm about Relena's waist, while he settled his chin onto her shoulder. The picture they made had Milliardo becoming uncomfortable with exactly how grown up his baby sister was.  
  
"There a reason you called?"  
  
Sensing the hidden question, the second highest-ranking officer of the Preventers gave a slight shake of his head, then caught the amused expression that Relena wore. It appeared that the diplomat in her had sensed the query, while the woman was amused at their actions.  
  
"Yes, actually, there is. Sally and Wufei just announced that they are expecting their first child in November."  
  
Relena gave a delighted cry, leaning in toward the screen in her excitement.  
  
"Really? Is it a boy or a girl? What did Wufei have to say about that? When's the due date?"  
  
Laughing, Milliardo raised a hand to stop the onslaught.  
  
"Woah! Calm down, the kid isn't due until November, so you're just going to have to wait a while before buying any baby clothes. And Wufei was...well, actually smiling, if that tells you anything. For any other information, I'm afraid that you're going to have to call Sally and Wufei for details."  
  
Milliardo had to smile as Relena rushed out of the room, tossing a casual 'bye, love you!' over her shoulder. Turning back to face Heero, he continued.  
  
"Nothing has come up, so don't worry that this call has a hidden agenda. Seriously, though - HAS she bankrupted you yet? I know her shopping tendencies, and they aren't pretty..." he trailed off as Heero smiled slightly.  
  
"No, honestly, she hasn't. Of course, she hasn't quite got the conversions into yen down yet, so she keeps overestimating everything. I'll let her tell you about everything that she bought...she said that it was her sisterly right."  
  
Nodding, Milliardo went to break the communications when a thought crossed his mind.  
  
"By the way, if you just want to casually drop the idea that the child might be a girl..." trailing off as Heero actually laughed, the older man waited for a second.  
  
"Duo's been harassing Wufei since they announced it. And he's actually gotten Trowa to talk about the joys of living with two females...Duo also started a pool as to how soon this kid's going to have Wufei wrapped around their little pinky.  
  
"Take care," he added abruptly, terminating the link between the two.   
  
Heero sat back, listening with half an ear to Relena's excited conversation with Sally, the older woman's talk mainly focusing on the medical aspects while Relena talked eagerly about spoiling the child. 'Poor Wufei', he thought, then amended the idea. 'No, not poor Wufei. The man made it through the war, and Duo's barbs about liking Sally before they married, so I'm sure he can handle whatever happens. At least, I THINK he can handle it...'  
  
A slight beeping on the desktop alerted him to the incoming call, giving Heero enough time to plaster a smirk on his face. Wufei's face came into view.   
  
"Yuy, please stop your crazy woman from putting even more ridiculous ideas into Sally's head. She's got enough of them in there without Relena's help," he pleaded, tossing a quick glance over his shoulder into the other room.  
  
"I'm afraid that you're on your own there. You know how stubborn Relena can be...especially when she gets an idea into her head. And I think that I just heard her mention something about an all pink room and wardrobe," Heero added wickedly, internally laughing at Wufei's expression.  
*****************************************  
  
  
Relena sighed as Heero crawled into bed, curling up against his added warmth. It seemed to her that the man carried an internal heater, the way he put out heat. It was definitely going to be cozy in the wintertime, she decided, sleepily placing her head into the crook of his shoulder.  
  
Turning slightly to settle Relena more firmly against him, Heero could only sigh in appreciation. The day had been full of surprises, and Relena had insisted on helping him fix a late dinner. Which had, of course, somehow ending up with every pot in the kitchen dirty, with flour (flour?! that wasn't even one of the ingredients!) coating the floor in a fine white powder.  
  
And it wasn't because Relena was a horrible cook. For several months now he and Relena had been cooking together, he gently teaching her, she intent on learning the art. No, Heero thought, it wasn't because she couldn't cook. It was because she was a klutz.  
  
Looking at her in public, one would never guess. Each gesture seemed perfect, each look and step designed to convey assurance and responsibility. In private, though, that was another story.   
  
When Relena became unsure of herself, her movements became jerky and uncoordinated, and often ended up with one or both of them on the floor. And just as often as not, covered in cooking ingredients.  
  
Which was why Heero was just now settling into bed. For some reason the mess had turned into a giant monster. A huge, giant, hulking monster that would have had Godzilla running in fear.   
  
So Heero had shooed Relena into the shower before tackling the monumental task, taking time to enjoy the peace and quiet that settled over the suite. By the time he had finished, night had firmly grasped the world, the pale moon sending silver shafts of light raining down upon the earth.   
  
Although the hour was late to begin with, Heero had sat by their bedside for another forty minutes, silently watching each expression flicker and disappear across Relena's sleeping face. The moon bathed her in a luminous glow, turning her dark blonde hair into silver streamers that floated on top of the pillows. One hand softly rested beside of her head, fingers twitching slightly as Relena's physical body reacted to whatever world Morpheus had sent her sleeping mind into.  
  
Placing a gentle kiss on the smooth brow, Heero settled in for the remainder of the night, pulling Relena's sleeping form closer to his own, so that perhaps it would be she that he would dream of.  
  
  
  
Deep in the shadows, the silent figure watched the other man climb into bed, pulling HIS love close, kissing HER forehead. Who did this man, this little nothing, think he was, to presume the right to hold something as precious as the flower in his arms each night? Planning his revenge, the figure slipped into the shadows, chuckling as he went.  
  
"Soon, my darling Relena, you will be back with me, and the BOY that took you away from me will see the error of his ways. I have all the time in the world, and sooner or later, your so-called 'lover'," he spat, "will slip, and then he will pay.  
  
"And he will pay dearly."  
  
*********************************************  
  
Remember, tell me what you think!  
  
AN - Thank you so much to everyone that has written me regarding this series! It means so much to read e-mail from people how truly enjoy the story. You've made me happy, and when I'm happy, my muse is happy...although my poor fingers and eyes aren't...thanks again for the support! E-mail is our friend, and I love friends.  



	6. Me Thinks Duo has a Death Wish

Symbol of Honor  
  
Chapter: 6  
  
By Lady Saffir  
  
  
DISCLAIMER: me no own...  
  
  
The thought of the day:  
"Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can. " Jane Austen  
  
Rating: G  
  
  
*************************************************  
  
  
  
Relena giggled in suspense, anxiously awaiting the moment that her blindfold could be taken off. It was the day of her bridal shower, and the girls had decided to make it a 'surprise'. Hence the blindfold and the multiple twists and turns that Duo and Trowa were leading her and Heero through.  
  
Speaking of which, Relena tried hard not to laugh aloud at Heero's muted growls. The entire surprise party had not gone over well with him; for some reason he just didn't trust Duo not to steer him into a wall for the sheer fun of it.  
  
Finally coming to a stop, Relena impatiently waited for Trowa to remove her blindfold. Reaching for Heero's hand, she found it unerringly, she gave a slight squeeze to show her appreciation for going along with this little scheme. He returned the gesture, linking their fingers together more solidly.  
  
As their blindfolds were ripped away, the couple could only stare in amazement at the room before them. Pale white roses adorned the tabletops, intertwined with a shimmery silk that could be found in abundance. Blue carnations were strewn about, some floating in large crystal bowls that also contained floating candles. Right then and there Relena decided to let her friends do the decorating for the wedding.  
  
Rushing forward to hug Relena, Hilde excitedly began to chatter away, Catherine and Dorothy chiming in with their comments. Relena was the last of them to be married, and each woman was more than willing to impart the wisdom that they had gained during their marriages.   
  
"Now, Relena, remember that you have to LET Heero think that he's making all the decisions - it lets him save face in front of the guys," Hilde stated, shooting a teasing glance in Duo's sputtering direction.  
  
"That was extremely good advice, but you also need to remember that you don't have to live in bachelor-like squalor. Make'em pick up," Catherine added.  
  
Heero snorted. Relena was messier than he was.  
  
"Enough, girls. Let's eat, then afterwards we can pull Relena away while the guys go do their 'thing'." Noin stepped in, seating Relena and Heero at a table.  
  
Plates full, everyone began to talk amongst themselves, each reminiscing about their own weddings. Some, like Milliardo's and Noin's, had been beautiful affairs, while Sally and Wufei's and been traditional, and still yet the humorous wedding that Duo and Hilde had gone through. Silently, Relena questioned what hers would be like, then snorted to herself. The private wedding would be quiet and traditional, and the public wedding would be elaborately huge and disgusting.   
  
  
  
Finally, it was time for the presents, and to be honest, Relena was kind of afraid of what they would be receiving. Duo had that look on his face that all but screamed he was up to something. One by one the presents were opened, each unique gift touching the couple's heart.  
  
From Quatra and Dorothy, a elaborately engraved set of fencing foils, with the teasingly extracted promise that Relena wouldn't stab Heero if he ever ticked her off. It made Relena wonder if Quatra had made Dorothy promise the same thing.  
  
From Trowa and Iria came the gift of riding horses, depicted in a drawing that Alexis had done. While Heero was delighted with the gift, Relena wasn't so sure. She had never quite mastered the art of horsemanship the way Heero had.  
  
Sally and Wufei presented them with traditional Japanese kimonos that were used for festival days. Eyeing the material warily, Relena couldn't help but laugh at Sally's added comment.  
  
"Even if you don't use it a lot, they work great as a bathrobe...that's what I use the traditional outfit Wufei gave me for. Just leave out the uncomfortable parts," she advised, ignoring Wufei's protests.   
  
Laughing, Relena agreed, then turned to face a grinning Duo Maxwell.  
  
Seeming to ignore Heero's warning look, Duo placed a large box on Relena's lap before retreating out of Heero's reach. Opening the box, Relena stared, uncomprehending, before a blush began to creep over her face.   
  
Leaning over to see what had caused the reaction, Heero had to continuously repeat, 'I will NOT kill Duo Maxwell, I will NOT kill Duo Maxwell,' to himself.  
  
For there, lying nestled in the folds of delicate tissue paper, were several bottles of oils, lotions, and edible body paint, along with skimpy pieces of clothing - along with a pair of fuzzy pink handcuffs.  
  
Howling with laughter at the priceless expression on the couple's faces, Duo hurriedly took a picture, skipping out of harm's way as Heero dove for him. The game of tag continued about the room until Heero managed to tackle Duo, sending both of them sprawling across the floor.  
  
By this time, everyone was curious as to what was in the box, with Hilde pushing to the front. She had a sinking feeling that whatever it was, it wasn't the pair of lamps that they had spent a month making.  
  
Looking inside, Hilde paled, vehemently denying any knowledge of what Duo had planned. She couldn't believe that he would do something like this...although a small voice in the back of her mind was laughing along with Duo, who at the moment was busy fending off a slightly angry Heero.  
  
Milliardo managed to snag the box, quickly wishing he hadn't. He knew, mentally, that Relena and Heero had been sleeping together for quite some time. And he knew that they would continue to do so after they were married. But the mental image that popped into his mind had him wishing for a quick bout of amnesia.  
  
  
Laughing as both Milliardo and Heero chased Duo about the room, Relena couldn't help but notice Hilde's expression. Slinging a friendly arm about the other woman, they both turned to watch their respective loves battle it out.  
  
"That isn't what we got you. I swear," Hilde said quietly, chuckling as Duo tripped Heero into food table.   
  
Sputtering, Heero stood, red punch dripping from his nose, the sugary icing from the cake mixing in with the liquid to form a dripping blob of pink sugary mess.  
  
Eyes twinkling in merriment, Duo skipped over to where Relena and Hilde stood, taking cover behind the bride-to-be.   
  
"Come and get me, Heero," he taunted, winking at Heero to try and silently get his plan across. An understanding passed between the two men before Heero was once more lunging at Duo.  
  
Smiling at Relena's protests, Heero continued forward, tackling the shrieking woman to the floor as he dove.  
  
"Heero! What were you thinking?!"  
  
Genuinely laughing, Heero allowed Relena to pummel her fists against his chest. Breathe coming in gasps, he managed to blurt out two words.  
  
"Mission...accomplished."  
  
Understanding dawned across Relena's features as she redoubled her efforts.  
  
"HEERO YOY! YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!"  
  
Jumping up, Relena proceeded to chase Heero around the room as their friends laughed at the spectacle.  
  
  
  
  
Some time later, after all of the involved parties had cleaned up, Milliardo walked to where Relena sat and knelt at her feet. The two siblings had grown very close over the past four years, to the point were words were not needed to truly understand each other.  
  
Searching Relena's eyes for her true feelings, Milliardo Peacecraft sighed mentally at what he saw. Her eyes, so much like his own, were the truest way to gauge her emotions. A lump began to form in his throat at what he saw there.  
  
Peace, hope, joy, happiness...and love. In the beginning, Milliardo had hoped that what Relena felt for Heero had only been a schoolgirl's crush on the silent, mysterious man that come into her world. As their time together had progressed, though, he had been able to see just how much the couple depended on the other for support.   
  
Catching Heero's eye, Milliardo finally gave the couple his full blessing with a slight dip of the head, but Heero caught the meaning behind the gesture. Faint relief flashed through the younger man's eyes, making Milliardo smile.  
  
'You've got that right, Yuy. Just remember that if you EVER hurt her, I'll be close by to make you regret your decision,' he thought. Pulling Relena to her feet, he began to speak.  
  
"Do you know what the first words I said when father let me see you? I said, 'mine.' - and I meant it. More often then not I fell asleep beside your crib, and it was to me that you took your first steps towards. I even let you play with my hair - which you promptly tied in knots and took permanent markers to," he stopped at her slight giggle, allowing himself a brief hug before continuing.  
  
"I remember when the kingdom was falling and Mr. Darlian came for you. As my nurse took me in one direction, and you went in the other, I promised myself that I would watch over you, and make sure that you were happy.  
  
"Do you recall when you were twelve, and the Darlians had just moved? You were so lost, coming home from school. I took you home and watched you sleep that night. I had just found you again, and it hurt so much to think that you had forgotten me. But I could see in your eyes that something in you recognized me."  
  
Relena's eyes began to tear as she remembered that horrible day. Yet again she had changed schools, and once more people were only nice to her because of who her father was. She remembered meeting the kind stranger, and she had thought him familiar.  
  
"I...I thought that you were the son of one of father's acquaintances," she offered up, blinking back the tears that were forming. Never had they spoken of what had happened that fateful day in the Cinq Kingdom.  
  
"I also did a little snooping. I found the trust funds that our father had left us, and began to invest them. I knew that the Darlian's were well set financially, but I couldn't risk the chance of something happening.  
  
"And I also saw that little stunt that Heero pulled when you were turning fifteen," he added, shooting the other man a black look. "Really, how could you turn down an invitation from Relena?"  
  
Heero shrugged, tossing an apologetic glance in Relena's direction.  
  
"It was either turn down the invite, or kill her, and since I couldn't do the one I had to do the other."  
  
Seeing Relena about to speak, Milliardo hurried on. He really didn't want to get into a discussion about the past.  
  
"At any rate, after the war, and the battle with Dekim Barton, I did a little researching into our shared past. And I found a surprise for you," he teased, stealing a half-hug from his sister.  
  
"It appears that the second child in line for the Peacecraft throne is traditionally given a very, very large wedding gift. One that I think you will appreciate greatly," he added.  
  
"And what would that be?" Relena asked suspiciously. She didn't know if she liked the looks that her brother and Heero were exchanging.  
  
"You're standing in it."  
  
Realization dawned as Relena absorbed his words. A house of her own? She had been contemplating moving out of their shared mansion for quite some time now - it was time that Milliardo and Noin focused more on each other and building their own family, than whether or not she would feel left out.  
  
"Oh, you're wonderful!" Relena cried, throwing her arms about Milliardo's neck.  
  
"Well, I'm not the only one you should be thanking," Milliardo responded, hugging Relena to him tightly. "Heero helped me pick it out."  
  
Relena pulled back, looking between her brother and Heero. "You did?"  
  
  
At his affirming nod, Relena launched herself across the dividing space, knocking Heero to the floor. Smothering him in kisses, she giggled at his protests before leaping to her feet in excitement.  
  
"Come on! We have to check out the rest of the place!"  
  
  
Watching as his baby sister zoomed up the stairs, Heero in tow, Milliardo fought back the tears that threatened to spill. His heart felt heavy, knowing that it would no longer be he that she would wake up in the middle of the night to simply talk as they walked through the gardens. Heero would get that honor now, and an unknown jealously for the other man sprang up, making him desperately wish that Relena wasn't getting married. He simply wasn't ready to let go of her yet.  
  
"Come on, big brother. There's still some cake that hasn't been destroyed yet," Noin said gently, taking her husband's hand in her own.  
  
Smiling in gratitude, Milliardo Peacecraft, one-time leader of troops, second in command of Preventer soldiers, and now relegated to being the second most important man in his sister's life, allowed himself to be led away to have some consolation cake.  
  
*****************************************************  



	7. Friends Make Everything Much More Enjoya...

Symbol of Honor  
  
Chapter: 7  
  
By Lady Saffir  
  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
  
Thought for the day:  
"A little alarm now and then keeps life from stagnation. "  
  
DISCLAIMER: me no own...  
  
************************************************  
  
  
Streching in the warm Spring sun, Relena let out a sigh of contentment. She and her mother - she still thought of Helen Darlian as her mother - had spent the day shopping, in the company of Sally. She had insisted on coming with them, citing the need to buy a dress for the wedding, but Relena knew better. She went nowhere without someone playing bodyguard nowadays.  
  
But today, she didn't care. They had finally set the wedding date - both dates - had sent out the invitations, and were now after flowers. And since Heero was still having fits with his allergies, Sally and Helen Darlian had offered to fill in. Needing a major dose of normalness, Relena had quickly agreed. Not that they were just shopping for flowers; what woman would pass up the opportunity to do a little shopping on the side?  
  
Which was how they came to be staggering up the stairs to her mother's house, arms laden with bags and other packages. Along with ordering flowers, Relena had also insisted on giving Sally her first baby gift, a small bear dressed in a bright yellow rain jacket.  
  
Nudging the door open with her foot, Relena quickly swept through to make room for her mother and Sally. However, she quickly stopped when she caught sight of the foyer.  
  
Written with what appeared, to Relena's horror, to be blood, were the words, 'Till Death do us part.' The sloppy scrawl spread up the wall, crossing over to the next without stopping. Spinning around, Relena saw that above the doorway were the words, 'Eternal love.'  
  
Hearing a cry behind her, Relena whirled to see Helen Darlian standing in the doorway. One hand covering her mouth, her blue eyes were wide with shock.   
  
Relena ran forward, just in time to stop her mother from completely collapsing to the ground. Looking up, she caught Sally's grim look.  
  
"Stay here. I'll be right back," Sally ordered, swiftly pulling a gun from her purse.  
  
Watching as the older woman quickly and efficiently checked the surrounding rooms, Relena tried to comfort her mother. The words sounded hollow even to her own ears, although both mother and daughter desperately tried to believe in the false comfort.  
  
Helping her mother to her feet, Relena tried to dampen the rage that was building. An attack against her was acceptable, as was an attack against the soldiers that she called friends. But to come in to her mother's house, and purposely defile the property with such sick thoughts...for the first time in her life Relena truly wished ill on someone.  
  
Waiting until Sally returned, Relena thrust her mother at the older woman, hurrying out of the room before Sally could protest. There was something she needed to retrieve from her foster-father's study.  
********************************  
  
  
Heero set the phone down with an almost inaudible 'click', turning to regard Lady Une.  
  
"Someone broke into Helen Darlian's home and vandalized it. Sally's bringing Relena and her mother here, just in case whoever did it was still hanging around."  
  
Lady Une nodded.  
  
"Perhaps it is time to put into motion the actions that we discussed," she suggested, all ready planning mentally. The plan would have to be executed swiftly, and harshly, in order to finally bring to an end this torment.  
  
Heero simply nodded in agreement before slipping quietly out the office door.  
***************************************  
  
  
Relena stalked into the Preventer's main office, oblivious to the nervous stares that were being directed at her. Intent on her destination, she left Sally to take care of her mother. Brushing past Wufei, she turned to regard him when he snaked out an arm to halt her movement. About to speak, Wufei could only close his mouth and nod when she glared at him.  
  
Feeling someone slip up beside him, he turned to regard Sally.   
  
"I'm awefully glad that you haven't tried to perfect your own 'Death Glare'," he said sincerely. Neither laughed as they watched Relena stalk into Heero's office and close the door.  
  
  
  
Relena found Heero seated at his desk, typing away furiously at the computer. Pausing to look up, he stopped typing when he saw her expression.  
  
"Relena..."  
  
Cutting him off, Relena pulled something out of her purse, slamming it down on the desktop.   
  
Heero looked up from the sight of the gun lying before him.  
  
"This. Stops. NOW!"  
  
Standing, Heero appraised her silently, trying to figure out the best approach. He had been working on a plan for the last twenty minutes, and had almost completed all of the details. Now he just had to convince Relena to play along.  
  
"Relena - listen to me. We are going to stop this. Lady Une and I have come up with a plan..."  
  
**********************************  
  
  
Outwardly composed, Relena honestly tried to get into the spirit of things. It had been a week since her mother's house had been defiled - a week of putting her acting abilities to the test. She had quickly agreed with Heero and Lady Une's assessment of the situation; someone was trying to mess with her head and make her paranoid of every sound and shadow. She was just as determined not to let the sadistic bastard win.  
  
Now, though, she honestly tried to enjoy the brilliant Spring weather. In one week, she and Heero, along with their closest friends, were heading to Japan for the private wedding ceremony. So this weekend they were frantically trying to cram everything into their new house. It didn't appear to be working though.  
  
It wasn't that they had a lot of 'stuff', or that the house was tiny. While it wasn't as grand as the mansion that Milliardo and Noin presided in, Relena thought that it would suit Heero and her perfectly. Large enough to host small parties, it also included multiple bedrooms, which - as Duo had pointed out, laughing - could either hold the entire gang, or a lot of children.   
  
Peeking into the living room, Relena could only shake her head in amazement. The actual room furniture was in place. However, the multitudes of boxes that covered every available surface had her wincing at the thought of unpacking them.   
************************  
  
  
The last of the boxes had been brought into the house - now all they had to do was settle everything. After taking a long lunch, a picnic in the backyard, the group had set to work, each couple tackling an area of the house. Duo and Hilde had opted for the kitchen, Hilde teasingly proclaiming that was only so Duo wouldn't interupt anyone with his eating habits. Sally and Wufei were helping Trowa in the living room, as Iria tried to entertain a very hyper Alexis. Quatra was helping Relena set up her office while Heero took care of his own. By mutual agreement, the couple had decided to leave the bedroom for when they were alone.  
  
Straightening up from the neck breaking task of sorting files, Relena glanced around, trying to remember what she was forgetting. Spying the picture of Milliardo and her, she suddenly remembered what seemed out of place.  
  
"Quatra? Where did my brother and Noin disappear to?"  
  
Quatra smiled, shaking his head.  
  
"Can't tell. I promised them I wouldn't. You'll just have to wait and see when they get back," he teased, ignoring her protests.   
  
**********************************  
  
  
"Do you think that she'll like it?" Milliardo Peacecraft asked for the fiftieth time. And for the fifteith time, Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft replied,  
  
"Of course she will! Heero said that she's been eyeing this thing for weeks now."  
  
Milliardo eyed the present warily. It looked innocent enough, but still...  
  
"All right, but this was all your idea."  
  
***************************  
Ok, here's chapter 7. Please let me know what you think. I'm sorry this chapter's so crappy AND short, but I'm trying harder on the next part. E-mail me!  
  
Lady Saffir


	8. Ah...The Joy of Bachelor Parties...

  
Symbol of Honor  
  
Chapter 8  
  
By: Lady Saffir  
  
Disclaimer: me no own...  
  
Thought for the day:  
"Nothing happens to anybody which he is not fitted by nature to bear. "  
  
Author's Notes: First, I have to thank everyone that e-mailed me and told me to hurry up with this chapter. This is actually only half of what I had planned to be chapter 8 - I hope to have the second part out in two weeks.   
  
I also have to thank Fatima for reading and telling me what sucked, and everybody at ProRelena (hi guys!) for doing the same.  
  
*IMPORTANT* If I have given you permission to post this story at your website, could you please e-mail me your site address again? My computer went on a cleaning spree...  
  
  
************************************  
  
  
Heero frowned, glaring at the computer screen. In two days he and Relena, along with friends and family, would leave for Japan. For his wedding. For their wedding.  
  
Oh god.  
  
He wouldn't quite call it cold feet...no, Heero knew that he wanted to marry Relena. He wouldn't even be having these self-doubts if it weren't for this unknown attacker. Of course, if he was completely honest with himself, (and honesty, though at times harsh, was what he dealt in) the main problem was that he kept hearing one tiny little line from the traditional wedding vows.  
  
To honor and protect.  
  
'Well', Heero mused, 'the honoring won't be the hard part, seeing that I've never even LOOKED at another girl. It the protecting part that I'm worried about. I can't even find this psycho - what's to say that this person won't succeed where other's have failed...'  
  
The office door suddenly flew open, disrupting Heero's train of thought. Duo poured through the door, dragging a reluctant Wufei with him. Trailing along, laughing at the expression on Wufei's face came Trowa and Quatra.  
  
"Heya, Heero! Ready to go?"  
  
Heero blinked, sure that he had missed something.  
  
"What are you talking about, Duo? You know I have a ton of paperwork to do before we leave."  
  
Duo sighed theatrically, planting his hands on Heero's desk. Leaning forward until he was eye-level with his friend, he spoke two words.  
  
"Bachelor party."  
  
Disbelief was the only word that could describe the expression on Heero's face. Looking between his four friends, he noted the gleam in each of their eyes.  
  
"Oh hell no."  
  
  
******************************  
  
  
Those, as it turned out, were famous last words. Which explained why Heero was sitting in Duo's living room, trying to find some way out of this mess. While he occasionally enjoyed the stunts that Duo pulled, he had heard Duo whispering something about a stripper to an unknown person on the vidphone.   
  
Heero was NOT sticking around for that.  
  
Or so he thought.  
  
Black cloth was suddenly draped over his face, obscuring his vision completely. Fighting to remove the material, he finally gave up when he heard Relena's voice whispering in his ear.  
  
"Heero, I promise you that nothing bad is going to happen. So just relax. Besides, I made the guys clear everything through me first."  
  
Nodding, Heero sunk back into his chair, awaiting whatever form of torture Relena and Duo had come up with. However, hands pulled him up, turning him to face in another direction. The blindfold was pulled off, leaving Heero to face Relena, who was wearing a trenchcoat and a smile.  
  
Upon opening the coat, Heero was only dimly able to note that Relena was wearing something black and feathery, before his eyes rolled upwards and he collapsed to the ground in a heap.  
  
Relena closed the coat and turned to face her astonished friends.  
  
"I guess he did like it."  
  
**********************************  
  
  
When Heero came to, the first thing he did was take a flying leap at Duo. Easily grabbing hold of the startled man, Heero reached into a nearby cup, scooping out a handful of ice. Grinning at the look on Duo's face, Heero fully intended to enjoy his revenge.  
  
"Hope you don't mind sub-arctic temperatures," Heero said, before stuffing the multiple ice cubes down the front of Duo's pants.  
  
Giving a high pitched 'Eeee!' that made people for three miles around cover their ears, Duo jumped to his feet, dumping the laughing Heero in the floor. Frantically shaking the ice out of his pants, he gave a large sigh of relief when he felt the last of the cubes slide down his leg.  
  
"Erm, Duo, don't you think it's about time that you were potty trained?" Trowa deadpanned.  
  
Confused, Duo looked down to see a large water stain covering a large portion of his jeans. He looked up to see his friends howling with laughter.  
  
"That is not funny," he said, calmly walking out of the room.  
  
  
  
When Duo had finally returned, the fun began in earnest. The party consisted only of the five Gundam pilots. The food, the fun, the wine, the women...  
  
OK, not the women, but everything else was true. After all, Duo Maxwell had quickly become known for his parties. Even Wufei got into the spirit, unable to resist watching his friends make fools of themselves playing Twister.   
  
"Left hand red."  
  
"Damnit, Wufei, I swear you're doing this on purpose! I am NOT some doll that can flex any which way!"  
  
"I'm not having any trouble."  
  
"That's because you're a damn acrobat Trowa!"  
  
Losing his balance, which was precarious to begin with, Duo toppled, taking Heero, and Quatra down with him. It was an amused Trowa that smile down at his fallen comrades.  
  
"Looks like I won."  
  
Yes, folks, drunken Twister at its best.  
  
  
The final game for the evening was an all-time classic, even outranking Twister.   
  
Pin the tale on the Gundam.  
  
Heero looked at the strip of cloth in his hand, then at the board with a picture of Wing on it. Swaying slightly, Heero turned to face a blurred Duo.  
  
"And what do I win?"  
  
Duo giggled, flinging an exuberant arm about his friend's shoulders.  
  
"Why, the right to sit next to Relena on the plane."  
  
Heero thought for a moment, then nodded his head.  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
Using the same strip of cloth that had covered Heero's eyes earlier, Duo made sure to tie the knot snugly. Walking his friend to stand in front of the board, Duo was about to begin spinning Heero when a thought crossed his drunken mind.  
  
"Say, Heero, how much have you had to drink?"  
  
"Um...I don't know..."  
  
Shrugging philosophically, Duo began the spinning in earnest.   
  
"You clean the mess up."  
  
After what felt like five minutes of spinning, Heero realized that Duo had stopped quite a while ago. Now if he could only remember why he was spinning in the first place...  
  
Oh yeah, so he could sit next to...to Relena.   
  
Filled with determination, Heero boldly stepped forward, determined to show everyone that he was still the best after a few drinks.  
  
Too bad that wall was there.  
  
With an oath, Heero rubbed his swollen nose, turning towards the direction of Duo's laughing.  
  
"Dammit Duo, why'd you move the wall?"  
  
Trying to ignore the laughter that was floating around him, Heero once more to a cautious step towards the wall. Finding it with his hand, he took a deep breath, then stabbed forward.   
**********************************  
  
  
  
Heero was still grumbling the next afternoon about his 'party', still unable to believe that Relena had actually gone along with Duo's insane plan.   
  
Not that he minded her outfit in the least, though.  
  
He also wasn't too happy about losing the game to Trowa. Not only had he missed the target entirely, he had also managed to stab his own hand in the process.  
  
As Wufei would say, Injustice. With a capital 'I'.  
  
Pulling the car to a stop in front of the Peacecraft mansion, both he and Relena carried the multiple packages into the house. Each box contained the traditional kimonos that everyone would be wearing to the Shinto wedding.   
  
Laughing at the picture of Heero trying to balance the bulky packages in one hand, while fumbling for the keys with his other, Relena didn't hear the sound at first. When she did hear it though, all blood drained from her face.  
  
Growing steadily louder, the sound reminded Relena of a child crying out from pain. The high pitched squeals alternated with the quieter whimpering, the short gasps for breath breaking the still air.  
  
Relena turned to see Heero go into 'Soldier Mode', the blankness settling over his face, eyes masked behind a wall of blue ice. Dropping the packages swiftly, Heero fluidly pulled his gun, checking the chamber to make sure it was loaded.  
  
"Stay close," he ordered, before pulling her to his side.  
  
They traced the sound to the edge of the property, to the middle of a small grove of trees. The sweet tree scent of summer, warm sunlight filtering through the branches, the barely audible buzz of insects - all seemed to conflict with the fear and hurt that floated about the air.  
  
Heero sucked in a breath at the sight that met his eyes. Belatedly, he tried to block Relena's view of the grizzly sight. After all that had happened, and with the wedding in two days, she didn't need this.   
  
Unfortunately for both of them, she saw.  
  
With a cry, Relena turned her head into Heero's shoulder, trying to block the image from her mind. The...dog, the animal, the...thing, whatever it was, had been skinned, with the pelt left to dry next to the suffering animal.  
  
Heero dropped to a crouch, pulling Relena with him. Whoever had done this was still nearby; the blood was still slowly oozing out of the animal's body.  
  
Relena whimpered, trying to find her inner-balance. She was stronger than this, she could control her stomach, she mustn't let whoever had done this get the better of her. That alone was enough to steel her resolve.  
  
"Heero, please."  
  
Not having to speak any further, Heero nodded in silent agreement. Standing, he edged closer to the animal, Relena still huddled against his side.   
  
"I'm sorry," Heero said, placing his gun point-blank at the animal's head. He held Relena's head close with his left hand, turning her head into his shoulder before squeezing the trigger.  
  
The whimpering stopped.  
  
**********************************************  



	9. Sake, Anyone?

  
  
  
Symbol of Honor  
  
Chapter 8b  
  
By Lady Saffir  
  
DISCLAIMER: me no own....  
  
Rating: G, as far as I know. Sap and fluff galore.  
  
AN - The end is in sight, folks! After this chapter there's only one more, and a possible epilogue. And for those of you reading this at FF.N, I'd like you to do this if you don't want to write a review. Please just rate it on the scale of 1 - 10; 1 being you want to burn your monitor for showing this horrible thing, and 10 being you loved the chapter. Thanks!  
  
  
*********************************************  
  
  
The plane ride had been uneventful, if you didn't count the fact that the most feared men in the world and the colonies played beauty salon during the long flight.  
  
  
Really, there is a good explanation for all of it.  
  
  
It was all Wufei's fault.  
  
  
Having been up with Sally most of the previous night due to 'morning sickness', Wufei had lain down for a nap in one of the sleeping compartments, taking Alexis with him at the request of Trowa and Iria. Both had quickly fallen asleep, the tiny girl tucked into the curve of Wufei's body.  
  
  
It was only half an hour later when Alexis awoke. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked around, taking in the sight of her sleeping uncle. Rolling over, what she found made her eyes widen as if it were Christmas morning.  
  
  
Eyeing the pile of make-up lying next to her, Alexis used the only logic a small child could. Her mommy and her aunts used this stuff to make themselves 'feel better', so maybe if she put some on her uncle, he would feel better too.  
  
  
Just as she was putting the finishing touches on, the door opened to reveal a very shocked Sally. Startled, Alexis began to try and hide the evidence. Mommy didn't allow her to play with her stuff, so Aunt Sally might be really mad with her. The two had a staring contest going until Alexis' face began to crumble.  
  
  
Putting on a bright smile, Sally crossed over to the fretting child, scooping her into her arms for a hug.  
  
  
"Shh...it's okay, Alexis, you just surprised me, that's all," she soothed, bouncing the sniffling child a bit.  
  
  
"Not mad?" came the soft question.  
  
  
Sally couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. "Not a bit. How about we take a picture of you and Uncle Wu?"  
  
  
Positioning the now grinning child next to her husband, Sally quickly retrieved the camera in their luggage. Waiting for just the right moment, Sally knew exactly when it came.  
  
  
  
  
The twin screams that echoed through the plane produced an immediate response. Six guns were instantly produced, safeties off, pointed toward the ceiling. Relena found herself shoved down to the floor, Heero crouched next to her body. Tensed, each person in the main cabin waited for something to signify what the danger was.  
  
  
The sides of the plane practically expanded with the shared sigh of relief when Sally called out that everything was fine. Holstering the guns, everyone rushed to see what had made Sally scream.  
  
  
The scene that greeted their eyes had Duo snickering, trying to hold in his laughter, Trowa and Iria shaking their heads at the sight of their offspring, and the rest of the group trying to pick their jaws up off the floor.  
  
  
Wufei was sitting in the middle of the bed, clothes mussed from sleep. His jet-black hair was loose from its customary ponytail, floating about his shoulders, wisps sticking straight up. All was normal, except for the large amounts of make-up that covered his face.  
  
  
The attempt had been made to smear base on his entire face, the large patches of foundation smeared across his forehead, nose, and cheeks, trailing down his neck to find a resting-place in his hair. Blush had been liberally applied to his cheeks, the pinkness of it giving the impression of a clown. Green and brown eyeshadow were found on his eyelids and directly underneath his eyes, making it look like he had bruised eyes. The crowning touch though was the lipstick that graced his mouth and chin, a crimson smear to highlight the pink of his cheeks.  
  
  
"Erm, Sally," Quatra began, snickering in-between words, "as...unusual as this is, why did you scream?"  
  
  
Husband and wife shared a look, Wufei giving tiny shakes of his head. The grin on Sally's face blossomed.  
  
  
"I didn't scream."  
  
  
At the hidden implication, eleven pairs of eyes swung to look at Wufei.  
  
  
"It wasn't my fault! The damn woman took the picture right when I was waking up! What else was I supposed to do?!"   
  
  
"You were supposed to scream like a man!" Duo piped up, ducking behind Heero at the glare Wufei shot him.  
  
  
About to respond, a sniffle caused Wufei to look down. Alexis had tucked her head against his chest, her large, watery blue eyes looking at him pleadingly.  
  
  
"Uncle Wu mad..."  
  
  
At the forlorn sound of her voice, Wufei racked his brains, trying to find a way out of this mess. The sight of Duo, still laughing, gave him a brilliant idea. Hoisting the child up till she was eye-level with him, he gave her his best smile.  
  
  
"No, Alexis, I'm not mad; Aunt Sally just startled me, that's all. I don't mind a bit. In fact, I like it."  
  
  
At that, Alexis beamed, her smile causing Wufei's to grow in turn.  
  
  
"And since I liked," Wufei continued, "and you liked it, why don't we share this with your other uncles? I'm sure they wouldn't mind helping you have fun, now would they?"  
  
  
The horrified expressions that crossed every man's face had Sally snapping pictures as fast as the camera would go.  
  
  
  
  
And so, in the end, each man allowed himself to be submitted to the ministrations of their niece, trying to refrain from causing Wufei bodily harm. It didn't help the fact that every woman on the plane had broken out a camera to commemorate the event.  
  
  
Heero, having flat out refused the make-up, was sitting patiently on the floor, allowing Alexis to do whatever she wanted to his hair. The occasion tug would cause him to wince, making Relena giggle. Finally, she handed him a mirror, camera ready to record his reaction.  
  
  
Holding up the mirror, Heero gingerly touched the top of his head, taking in the spikes of hair that sprouted from every part of his skull. He noted gel had been added, letting certain areas lay flat, while others pointed in an almost dangerous fashion away from his head. One strand, on top of his head, stuck straight up.   
  
  
Falling backwards, Heero let Alexis sit on his chest as he tried to stop a massive sigh from escaping his lips.   
  
  
***********************************************  
  
  
  
Relena sighed into the night air, a happy sigh that told of dreams and hopes having passed into reality, the fairy-tale ending beginning to blossom. The wind whispering past the tree leaves, faintly echoing her thoughts. To-morrow, to-morrow, to-morrow...  
  
  
"To-morrow and to-morrow and to-morrow," she quoted, staring into the bright night sky.  
  
  
A figure materialized out of the darkness, striding forward softly, barely disrupting the still night air. He stood quietly, waiting for some form of acknowledgement. Moments passed, Relena searching the sky, the young man staring at the princess.  
  
  
Rolling her eyes to her silent companion, Relena patted the ground next to her. Silence reigned as the couple lay back in the soft Spring grass, content to enjoy the peace while it lasted. The contrast of the warm earth, its dull heat retained from the day sky, with the cool blades of grass that rustled and brushed against bare skin, heightened the senses, leaving the body both relaxed and hyper aware of the slightest change in the night.  
  
  
"Such a sad quote for such a happy time," her companion commented, propping himself on elbow to gaze at Relena. "Or are you having second thoughts?" he questioned, lightly running a finger up her bare arm.  
  
  
Shivering at the gesture, Relena turned her gaze, reaching up to trail her fingers down the side of his face.  
  
  
"Perhaps something else then? 'I am giddy, expectation whirls me round,'" she teased, reaching up to tweak his nose.  
  
  
He caught and held the wandering hand, pressing until he felt the lost vestiges of scar tissue against his cheek.  
  
  
"Truth, Relena. Are you having second thoughts?" he asked again, searching for some clue in her face.  
  
  
"Truth, Heero?" Relena asked, pressing even harder against his face. "No doubts, no fears, save those that I will embarrass you tomorrow in the ceremony," she replied, moving her hand to brush through unruly hair.  
  
  
Again he captured her hand, bringing it level with his mouth. Planting a chaste kiss on her palm, he scooted closer, pulling her slight frame against his own. Rolling onto his back, he encircled her with his arms, enjoying the comforting feel of her weight against his chest.  
  
  
"You will never embarrass me, Relena," he whispered fiercely, crushing a tangle of hair trapped between his fingers. "Never. All of my life, I could only wonder what a normal life would be like. Now I know. I laugh, I cry...I worry over mundane things like whether or not the laundry can wait another day. I have friends that have turned into a family.  
  
  
"And I have you," Heero finished, pressing his cheek against the crown of her head.  
  
  
  
  
That was exactly how Milliardo found them half an hour later, sprawled carelessly upon the dewy grass. For the first time, he couldn't help the small smile that played across his mouth at the sight of the young couple. Perhaps Noin was right; they really were too adorable sometimes.  
  
  
"Your bridemaids are looking for you, Relena."  
  
  
The reminder of her own 'bachelorette party' prompted Relena to jump to her feet, covering her mouth in dismay.  
  
  
"I completely forgot! They are going to cream me for this!"  
  
  
About to run, Relena stopped when Heero grabbed her wrist. Looking down, she saw the full blown smile on his lips.  
  
  
"I know, not too much drinking, and watch out for any pranks. Now, be good and play nice," Relena admonished, wagging a finger at both men.  
  
  
Milliardo caught Heero's expression from the corner of his eye as his little sister ran through the garden. The smile, while still there, had turned into a private smile that a person gets only when thinking private memories. Milliardo sighed, running his fingers through his tousled hair. Well, now he could skip the long lecture he had planned about really being in love with his sister.  
  
  
"At least I can save us both some time," he said, causing Heero to turn and look at him questioningly. "Your look," Milliardo elaborated, "says it all. Completely and utterly in love. Now stay that way," he ordered.  
  
  
"Yes sir, commander sir," Heero saluted.  
  
  
  
*********************************  
  
  
  
Heero's breath caught when he saw Relena for the first time on their wedding day. the crimson material of the traditional kimono accented the pale blonde of her hair. Silver cranes had been embroidered onto the material, swooping and flying about her body.  
  
  
The Shinto priest gazed fondly at the young couple before him. Three years ago Heero Yuy had appeared on the shrine grounds, asking to be taken on as an apprentice. He had almost said no, until Heero's eyes had locked onto his. The dark blue had contained so many things, but it was the flicker of hope that had decided the old priest's mind.  
  
  
An entire year had passed, and in that time the two men had become friends, although the path had not been easy. It had taken a screaming fit for Heero to finally open up.  
  
  
The memory caused the old man to smile. Heero's progress had been painfully slow, leading the priest to take drastic measures. For three months he spoke not a word, even when teaching Heero new chores. For some reason one day, Heero hadn't been able to grasp the concept behind his lesson.  
  
  
He had continued to slap Heero's hands with each incorrect movement. Impatience began to build, leaving Heero fidgeting slightly. No matter what he did it wasn't right. Finally, the bubble burst.  
  
  
"Look - I don't know what you want me to do! Everytime I do what I think you want, you tell me it's wrong I'm not a mind reader - I'm only human!"  
  
  
Heero's eyes widened, realization dawning.  
  
  
"That's it, isn't it? You wanted me to see that even I have limits, and I react emotionally when pushed. Right?"  
  
  
The old man gave a long sigh of relief, sinking to the ground.  
  
  
"I feared you would never understand that. I was afraid I'd forget how to talk if something didn't happen soon!"  
  
  
The words were practically lost to Heero as he stood there in amazement. That was the entire trick of fitting into the human race? It seemed almost too easy.  
  
  
A month later, an urgent message came from Quatra. Relena had drawn a line on the issue of her security, leaving the remaining Gundam pilots about to rip their hair out.  
  
  
"Please, Heero, please," Quatra begged. "Come talk to her. She listens to you. We understand that she needs privacy, but the other ministers are demanding a twenty-four hour guard after the last assination attempt."  
  
  
The priest still remembered Heero's parting words.  
  
  
"When I come back, I'm going to bring someone I want you to meet."  
  
  
  
Smiling again, the priest spoke in English for the benefit of his guests. The ritual words spoken, the couple shared a drink, smiles gracing their lips.  
  
  
*********************************  
  
  
Settling into bed Heero sighed, tired after the long day. After the ceremony they opted to go to a local fair, saving all speeches and good wishes for the public ceremony.  
  
  
Turning to look at his new wife, his eye caught sight of the fish bowl sitting several feet away. Try as she might, Relena had been unable to capture a goldfish without breaking the the paper catcher. Although he couldn't understand why anyone wanted fish for pets, he had gladly caught three of the prettiest, most unusually marked creatures, presenting them to a clapping Relena with a flourish and a bow.  
  
  
Past the fish bowl lay a large pile of plushie dolls. One unfortunate booth made the mistake of proclaiming that 'only the best could win', which had prompted all six men to try. And win. Repeatedly. The biggest delight for all of the women had been the fact that Gundam plushie dolls had been a prize option.  
  
  
Heero had managed to win all six dolls, and was in the process of giving the man a large tip, since the group had depleted most of his prizes. Seeing Heero's eyes drift to Relena, the man, who was most likely old enough to be Heero's father, had grinned.  
  
  
"You're wife?"  
  
  
Heero couldn't help the smile that broke out. "Married today," he answered.  
  
  
"The day is young, so your marriage must be as well. Tell me - does your wife speak Japanese? I would like to give her a wedding gift."  
  
  
Nodding, Heero had motioned Relena to join him.  
  
"My wife, Lena Yuy," he introduced, using Relena's alias for the trip.  
  
  
  
Bowing, the man spoke, reaching behind him.  
  
  
"I wish you luck and prosperity in your marriage, and many children as well. And seeing your fascination with Gundams, I believe I may have something that you may like."  
  
  
Relena gave a delighted cry as the vendor produced a three foot tall plushie of Wing Custom. Bowing, she thanked the man in her best Japanese. Giving their farewells, the couple stopped when the man's parting words floated to their ears.  
  
  
"You're welcome...your Majesty."  
  
  
Whirling, Heero had his hand on his gun, ready to draw, when Relena stopped him with a gentle touch. Stepping around him, she regarded the still smiling man before speaking haltingly, searching for the correct words.  
  
  
"Please...I am no longer a queen, or even a princess. I have given up my kingdom for peace. For today, I am simply Lena Yuy, a newly married woman who is only enjoying this beautiful day with her husband and friends."  
  
  
The man followed her speech carefully, nodding at the end. "I understand, and am sorry if I have cast any shadows over your day." The man tossed a perceptive look at Heero, then continued.  
  
  
"I also understand that you do not wish it to be known that you are here, if you are using false names. I will speak of this to no one."  
  
  
"Thank you," Relena said gratefully, before sqealing in delight. "Food! Heero, I'm starved; watching you do all this work has made me hungry!" she proclaimed, dragging him through the various stalls. Looking back, Heero saw the man wave in farewell.  
  
  
  
  
Watching his peacefully sleeping wife, Heero could only smirk at the remembered conversation that had taken place as they strolled along.  
  
  
  
"You had that poor man wrapped around your little finger," Heero commented, tugging on a loose strand of hair.  
  
  
"Are you saying that I used my feminine wiles to get him to agree?" Relena asked, eyes a bit too wide for true innocence.  
  
  
Heero snorted. "No, you charmed your way into getting what you wanted."  
  
  
"Well, as someone once said, and I quote, 'You know what charm is: a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear question.'"  
  
  
  
  
A sinking feeling had crept over him at that. Somehow he knew he'd be agreeing to a lot of outlandish things in the future. Shrugging philosphically, Heero fitted Relena's body against his, planting a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder before drifting off to sleep.   
  
  
********************************************  
  
  
  
Heero tensed, anxiously waiting Duo to give the OK that the church grounds were clear. In one hour the wedding ceremony would commence, and he had yet to finish dressing and talk to the media about his upcoming nuptials. Sighing, he ran a hand through his unruly hair, impatience growing. The wedding date and time had been broadcast on almost every news channel known to mankind, with the ceremony being broadcast to the colonies and rest of the world. Now they just had to wait for this psycho to show up and ruin the ceremony.  
  
  
"The only man in the world that hopes another man tries to interrupt his wedding," he muttered, earning an odd look from Trowa.  
  
  
"What if it's a woman?" Trowa countered, raising his one visible eyebrow.  
  
  
"Statistics say it'll be a man. There have been very few serial killers and psychopaths of the female gender."  
  
  
Quatra poked his head inside the door, disrupting the conversation.  
  
  
"Heero? You aren't dressed yet? The press is dying to have a few pictures of you before the ceremony; they say they want to help you commemerate the last few hours of your bachelorhood."  
  
  
Snorting, Heero stood, reaching for the black tuxedo jacket thrown over the arm of a chair. Grabbing the bowtie, he scowled while straightening it. Two years of escorting Relena to formal events had given him little love of the ridiculous accessory, so he always left it for last.  
  
  
"Duo says everything's clear?"  
  
  
Quatra nodded, amusement dancing through his eyes.  
  
  
"According to him, everything's 'just peachy'.  
  
  
That earned another scowl from Heero.  
  
  
"If he missed a bomb and it goes off, or anything else happens that doesn't involve a one on one confrontation, I'm taking it out of his hide. Then we'll see if everything's 'just peachy'."  
  
  
Laughing quietly, Trowa couldn't resist teasing his friend.  
  
  
"You aren't getting cold feet, are you Heero? If you backed out, I think Relena AND Lady Une would authorize a manhunt for you."  
  
  
"No, I am not getting cold feet. Even though Relena and I plan on celebrating our anniversary on the Shinto wedding date, I know she wants this to go well."  
  
  
****************************************  
  
  
Relena tried to calm down, restraining her fidgeting to tapping two fingers against her thigh. A sharp tug on her hair pulled her head back enough to meet the gaze of an amused Hilde Maxwell.  
  
  
"Cold feet?" she asked sweetly, tucking a curl into place. She and Relena had spent countless hours poring over magazines devoted entirely to hair. The top choices had been presented the rest of their female friends for final judgement.  
  
  
The end result was a mass of curls that cascaded down Relena's back. Pulled back gently with small curls and wisps picked out to frame her face, Relena had to admit the style suited her quite well. Her cheekbones were accented as well as her eyes. The makeup was flawlessly applied, the bright blue of her eyes seeming to sparkle even more.  
  
  
"No, I'm just worried this person is going to do something like bomb the church," Relena answered honestly, stilling her fingers from their rhythmic tapping.  
  
  
"No need to fear that. Duo's searching the grounds, and I told him if anything goes haywire he'd better start running for his life because I was going to be very mad if he messed up my friend's wedding," Hilde laughed, coming around to meet Relena's eyes.  
  
  
"Beautiful. Now, I have someone out here that wants to talk to you."  
  
  
Fiddling with the handheld mirror, Relena jumped when a hand descended to rest lightly on her shoulder. The owner of the hand stepped into view, revealing a smiling, misty-eyed Milliardo Peacecraft.  
  
  
"The princess bride, painting a more beautiful picture than any fairy tale ever could," he whispered, touching a curl that rested upon her shoulder. He came to kneel before her, taking both hands within his grasp.  
  
  
"You look like mother, with your hair styled like that. She'd be so proud of you."  
  
  
Relena tried to blink back the tears that threatened to spill over. Helen Dorlain held a dear place within her heart, but she treasured the few memories of her real mother she could remember.   
  
  
Alarm crossed Milliardo's features as he reached up to brush a stray tear away.  
  
  
"Don't cry Relena, I didn't mean for that to happen. I just wanted to see that pretty smile," he soothed, patting her cheek in reassurance. Grabbing a tissue from the nearby vanity, he blotted her cheeks clear of tears. "Would it help if I told you I was crying like a baby last night? Noin was ready to throw me out the window," he offered up, grinning as a smile peeked through.  
  
  
Relena couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up. Smiling, she threw herself into Milliardo's waiting arms, unable to sad for very long. Pulling back, she searched his face, looking for anything that would indicate he was stretching the truth.  
  
  
"You didn't."  
  
  
"I did. I think I went through three boxes of tissues in an hour..."  
  
  
Laughter interrupted the siblings, causing them to turn and see Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft framed in the doorway, a hand held over her mouth to stop the laughter.  
  
"Maybe not three boxes, but cry he did," she affirmed.  
  
  
Following Noin were the rest of Relena's bridesmaids, anxious to give last minute advice and goodwishes.  
  
  
"Remember, if Heero tries to bolt, we've got the ammo to stop him," Hilde teased, patting her bouquet of flowers. The reminder brought Relena back to the real reason for the early wedding.  
  
  
  
  
The planning session to capture her attacker left Relena stunned at the mental workings of her friends. Political manuevering she could do; this was a whole other ball game. It reminded her of a chess game, except this game dealt with bullets and lives, not rooks and kings. The sound of her name startled her back into the conversation.  
  
  
"Relena? Did you get that? If our attacker strikes the way I think he will, I want you to stay out of the way as much as possible. Noin, Sally, Hilde, Dorothy - we're going to arrange to have a small gun hidden within your bouquets. Catherine, I know you're going to have a small throwing knife on you. Lady Une will have a gun with her as well, but since she's in the audience, hopefully our man will forget. Iria - you'll be in charge of making sure that Alexis, Mareimaea, and Mrs. Dorlain get down and stay there if gunfire starts."  
  
  
As Quatra paused in his planning, Relena could only marvel. It was now clear as to why the other men looked to the Arabian for well thought out plans. No detail escaped his attention.  
  
  
"Zechs, if you can get to Relena and get her to safety. Duo, Trowa, Wufei and I will be watching for anything coming at us from the sides and back. Heero, our target will probably switch back and forth from you and Relena, so make sure your gun is where you can reach it quickly. The Marquis Wayridge has agreed to help us try and keep the guests from panicking, and so has the priest.  
  
  
"Remember - we want this guy alive if possible, but if it comes to us or him, take the cleanest shot you can."  
  
  
  
  
Her smile slipped for a moment at Quatra's parting words. She knew the pilots could theoretically watch their own backs, but that didn't stop the worrying. And if the press ever found out her entire wedding party had concealed weapons, she could kiss her political career good-bye. If it came down to it though, she'd rather lose the job.  
  
  
  
Stepping between the twin pillars that guarded the main entrance way, Relena took a steadying breathe, leaning on her grandfather's arm while she could. She had waited two long years for this to happen and now she wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Trowa, Wufei, Quatra, and Duo all looked splendid in their black tuxes, each attentively turned to look at her. Milliardo, as best man, looked wonderful as well, the pale white blonde of his hair contrasting deeply with the darkness of his tuxedo.  
  
  
Turning her gaze to Heero, Relena's breath caught in her throat. Dressed in pure white, his deep blue eyes appeared even bluer and more intense. For once his unruly hair was semi-tamed, a single strand hanging over into his eyes. The processional walk down the aisle was a blur, her attention focused entirely upon the man waiting for her.  
  
  
Reaching the end of the walk, Relena's grandfather bent to kiss her cheek, placing her hand into Heero's waiting grasp. Gently he pulled her closer, giving her a soft smile before turning them to face the priest.  
  
  
Relena was aware of the people around her subtly scanning the crowd for a disturbance, just as she knew Heero was doing the same thing. Her faith in him was so complete that she simply gave herself over to her emotions, enjoying the moment as she should.  
  
  
  
Heero was hyperaware of his surroundings, each sense looking for some disturbance that would indicate danger. From Relena's trusting face to the quiet rustle of Noin's dress to Alexis fidgeting in the front pew - each sound and sight was caught and processed almost unintentionally.   
  
  
Finally, the words that everyone was waiting for were spoken. With a glance to Heero the priest asked in a loud, clear voice:  
  
  
"Is there anyone present that objects to this union?"  
  
  
The entire wedding party held their breath, waiting, waiting...opening his mouth to continue, the priest was cut off abruptly by a new voice.  
  
  
"I object!"  
  
  
Heero felt more than saw Relena tense, his own back stiffening in recognition.  
  
  
"You," he growled, turning to face his opponent.  
  
  
**************************************************  
  
  



	10. Forever

Symbol of Honor  
  
Chapter 9  
  
By Lady Saffir  
  
DISCLAIMER: me no own...*sniff*  
  
AN-For those of you who asked, I'm going on the episode where Relena shoots the rose from Lady Une's uniform. Remember how she calls that man grandfather? Well, I've been thinking about it, and I recalled how the Marquis Wayridge called her Katrina - which I'm guessing is her real mother's name. So what if Katrina Peacecraft and Helen Dorlain were sisters? That would explain how Relena looks so much like her adopted mother. But those are just my thoughts on the subject, and how I'm using it in this story.  
  
"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story."  
-George Orson Wells  
  
*******************************************  
  
  
  
Relena turned as Heero did, unable to keep the gasp from escaping her lips. Standing between the massive pillars at the back of the church was someone she had never thought she would see again.  
  
"Richard," she breathed, unable to believe that he would do this to her. At St. Gabriel's he had hounded and followed her, determined to win her over. The memory caused everything to fall in place.  
  
"You...you were the one that's been following me, hurting me, tormenting me, haven't you?" Relena questioned, taking a step forward. The quiet murmurs that had swept through the congregation rose, people twisting to see who would dare interrupt the ceremony.  
  
Richard ignored everyone but the woman standing at the alter, striding towards her confidently.  
  
"I had to help you realize how much you meant to me, Relena. I couldn't stand the thought of you lowering yourself to marry a vagabond, a man that can't fully appreciate the responsibility that we nobles have to live with. I just couldn't," he pleaded, stopping ten feet away from her. "I love you."  
  
Milliardo stepped forward, moving so that he could stand on Relena's other side. Eyeing the intruder warily, he saw the other pilots moving in his peripheral vision, spreading out to flank Heero.  
  
"Do you have a complaint with this wedding?" Milliardo asked coolly.  
  
Richard made an impatient sound, not even bothering to look at who had spoken.  
  
"I just told you that I did. The fact that you would allow your sister to marry such a person is incomprehensible."  
  
"I hate to tell you this, pal, but just because you have issues with the groom doesn't give you the right to hurt and torment Relena," Duo spoke up, starting to reach for his gun. Something about this psycho had the warning bells going off in his head.  
  
In one fluid movement Richard drew his gun, pointing it directly at Relena. Each man pulled his own gun, training it on the blonde haired man before them.  
  
"I would suggest you drop your weapons, gentlemen. If I so much as think you're going to pull the trigger, I will not hesitate to shoot Relena."  
  
"Why, Richard? You say that you love me, but why did you harm me? Why not just come to me and tell me?"   
  
"Because I knew you wouldn't believe me. He's brainwashed you, Relena. I had to show you that I would follow you anywhere. Even into Death."  
  
A cold chill swept through Relena at his words. She would forget about her scar until something pressed against her left hand too hard and caused a pain to shoot through her arm. Staring down at the still pink scar tissue, she spoke.  
  
"I do not wish to sound harsh, Richard, but this has only shown me how little you care for me. True love would not allow you to harm me in anyway, or attack anyone that was dear to me. You have done both with horrible results and for that I will never forgive you. Please leave now, before you are forced to."  
  
Richard's eyes hardened, his finger beginning to squeeze the trigger even more. "Then I guess this is good-bye, Relena. I can't stand by and watch this mockery of a ceremony continue."  
  
"Wait."  
  
Pausing, Richard looked over to Heero.  
  
"Yes, peasant? Are you going to beg for me not to do it?"  
  
Heero shrugged, careful to make no other sudden moves.  
  
"No, but it doesn't make sense to shoot the person you're in love with. I think you'd want to shoot the person that stole her from you," he suggested calmly, ignoring Relena's sound of protest.  
  
"True, but I'd rather you suffer with knowing you caused this. You stood in the way of our relationship from the very beginning. If you hadn't appeared, I would have won her over - and you knew that! But you just had to show off and save her life, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?!"  
  
Screaming, Richard swung the gun around, firing. Heero's body jerked from the force of the shot.   
  
Relena screamed as Heero started to fall, trying to rush to his side, only to be pulled down by Milliardo. Almost simultaneously six shots fired, the deafening sound ripping through the air. Guests began screaming, falling to the floor to stay safe.  
  
  
  
Relena shoved at Milliardo, trying to push his dead weight from her body.  
  
"Let me up! Heero's been shot! Please, please," she begged, tears streaming down her face.  
  
Milliardo looked around, noting that Richard lay face down several feet away, an ever-growing pool of blood spreading from beneath his body. He moved off of Relena's body, allowing her to scramble ungracefully over to Heero.  
  
"Heero! Please Heero, open your eyes," Relena said, trying to pull his jacket off to staunch the wound. Gentle hands covered her own and she looked up to see Duo there, jacket already off.  
  
"Duo..."  
  
Duo flashed a worried smile in her direction, ripping Heero shirt off to inspect the wound. "Lena, I need to you talk to him, make him try and open his eyes. Can you do that for me?"  
  
Relena took a deep breath, shoving the hysterics that threatened to bubble up deep within her. Now was not the time; later, when Heero was taken care of, she would loose them.  
  
"Heero? Heero, can you hear me? Please, I need you to let me know if you can hear me," she murmured, bending over to smooth a lock of hair away.  
  
A grunt was her answer as Heero's eyes shot open, his hand automatically going for the injury. Grimacing in pain, he looked over to see Duo and Wufei placing a makeshift bandage over his left shoulder. Looking up, he saw Relena's worried blue eyes staring at him. He reached up to touch her cheek, gasping at the pain that shot through his body.  
  
"I...forgot how much...it hurts," he gritted out, teeth grinding together.  
  
Paramedics rushed forward to check the injury, then began loading Heero onto a gurney. They were finished in minutes, wheeling Heero away before Relena could scramble to her feet. About to follow, Relena was stopped when Lady Une stepped into her path.  
  
"Relena, let him go. We'll follow behind, but if you go with him, he'll be more worried about you than himself. He's going to be fine, but we need to let the professionals do their job."  
  
Biting her lip, Relena reluctantly agreed, waiting for everyone to join her before trying to exit the church. The sight that greeted her eyes sent her blood boiling. The media was surrounding the paramedics who were trying to reach the ambulance, stopping them to ask questions about Heero.  
  
"Can you tell us what happened?"  
  
"Who was the mystery man?"  
  
"Mr. Yuy! Can we..."  
  
Silence fell as a gunshot sounded, everyone turning to face a gun wielding Lady Une, who was wearing full Preventer regalia.  
  
"If that man dies, or has any complications that the doctors say could have been prevented by earlier medical treatment, I will personally make sure that each one of you lose your media license and privileges throughout Earth Sphere Unified Nations. This is a political terrorist act, and I am allowed to act as I see fit by the President of ESUN," she explained calmly, making sure to meet everyone's gaze.  
  
Murmurs of protest sounded, but each news group quickly backed off, allowing two very relieved paramedics to finish loading the ambulance.  
  
  
  
  
Relena paced the hallway, unable to sit. The press, afraid that Une would follow through on her threat, had left the wedding party alone, not even following them to the hospital. Her wedding dress, stained with Heero's blood, had been replaced with a simple pair of pants and one of Heero's dress shirts.  
  
Ten paces, turn, ten paces turn...by now Relena had memorized the tile flooring of the Preventer medical center. Early on her friends had taken turns trying to get her to eat or drink something, finally giving up when she unleashed her own death glare on them.  
  
The sound of a door opening filtered through her consciousness, causing her head to snap up. In an instant Relena was at Iria's side, taking in the woman's exhausted face.  
  
"Is he all right? When can I see him?"  
  
Smiling tiredly, Iria filled the waiting people in on Heero's condition. "The bullet missed his heart and lungs, but he lost a bit of blood. His collarbone was partially shattered from the force, so it took a while to piece it together. We've got him in ICU until we're sure that nothing will go wrong.  
  
"He's asking to see you, Relena. He refuses to let me give him something for the pain until he talks to you, so if you can, make it quick."  
  
Nodding, Relena followed Iria through the doors of the ICU, pausing to look in through the large glass window. Tubes were running in and out of his body, his entire left side bandaged with white gauze.  
  
Blinking back tears, Relena entered the room, gently taking Heero's hand as she sat. She had never seen him so pale, not even during the Mariemaea incident. When he opened his eyes, she couldn't help the sob that broke through.  
  
"I thought he had killed you," she cried, suddenly afraid this was a good-bye.  
  
"No, never," Heero soothed, trying to cover up the spasm of pain that shot through his body. "I am not leaving you until you tell me to, Relena. I promise."  
  
"But you can't promise that! Nobody can promise that, nobody. Just promise not to draw attention to yourself like that again. I'm getting tired of worrying if you're going to get yourself killed over me," Relena whispered, touching his face hesitantly, afraid of hurting him.  
  
Heero tried to laugh then settled on smiling when the laughter jarred his wound. "I can take getting shot; after all, I've had worse. Just ask Trowa - he'll tell you. But," he raised a hand to halt her protests, "I can't promise I won't get hurt again. Not only is it my job to protect you, it's...more personal than that. I don't think I could stand knowing you were hurt when I could have done something. So I'll keep jumping in front of you, and you can keep trying to knock some sense into me. Is it a deal?"  
  
Relena laughed, tapping his head gently. "I should start now while you can't go anywhere, so maybe you'll remember better."  
  
Heero smiled, reaching up to cup her cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, except maybe to sleep. I promise I'll be good as new in a few days and you can start then."  
  
Catching Iria's eye, Heero nodded, allowing her to finally inject the pain relievers into his IV. His eyes stayed on Relena's, unable to look away.  
  
"Stay with me until I'm asleep?" He asked quietly, feeling the drugs beginning to take affect.   
  
Relena nodded, taking his hand more tightly into her grasp, watching as her husband's eyes began to close.  
  
"I love you," he whispered, drifting off into healing sleep.  
  
********************************************  
  
  
  
One week later found Relena facing the same set of massive pillars once more. This time however, the only emotions to be found were the happier ones. Richard was no longer a threat, Milliardo and Heero were getting along extremely well - even Sally's morning sickness had been quiet these past few days. The future was definitely looking up. Iria hadn't wanted to let Heero go through with the ceremony just yet, but short of tying him down, she couldn't see any way to stop him. His shoulder still gave him slight spasms and was sore to the touch, but he insisted on finishing what had been started one week ago.  
  
As the first chords of the wedding march floated through the warm summer air, the doors were thrown open. As one, the congregation rose, turning to get a glimpse of the bride. Passing by, Relena was able to catch snippets of conversation.  
  
"Beautiful."  
  
"A picture perfect bride!"  
  
"Stunning."  
  
Indeed, Relena was quite a sight to behold. The train, neither too long nor too short, whispered quietly as it passed over the marble flooring. A trail of beadwork wound its way throughout the material, curving over each arm to end at the wrist.  
  
The main body of the gown was tucked to emphasize the slim waist, the bodice clinging like a second skin. The neckline was modest, barely curving below the collarbone. A string of diamonds had been sewn into the material, brilliantly catching any and all light that came near.  
  
The arms of the dress were fitted to show off the slim and delicate looking wrists. Tapering to an end on the back of each hand, the sleeves were held in place by a single loop of elastic that encircled the middle fingers.  
  
Heero had to forcibly work at keeping his jaw of the floor. He had thought last week's ceremony would serve as a preview of things to come, but it paled in comparison to the sight before his eyes. Her hair was pulled up and back to curl as it pleased, a few loose tendrils sweeping down the side of her face, the light golden tresses only serving to draw attention to the startling blue of her eyes.  
  
Then she smiled at him, and Heero fell in love all over again. The way she looked at him made Heero feel as if he was the only man on earth, and her smile said she felt the same way.   
  
Advancing slowly, Relena felt her pulse fluttering with every step she took. Unable to believe the day had finally come, she waited for the alarm clock to go off, or for an assassin to pop out of the woodwork. When nothing happened, her smile grew, her body wanting to dance down the aisle.  
  
The processional finally stopped, leaving Relena next to Heero. Her grandfather, the Marquis Wayridge, kissed her cheek, then turned to shake Heero's hand.  
  
At last, the couple turned to face the minister. The words heralding the approach of the wedding vows fell on deaf ears, as Heero and Relena simply stared at each other, content for once to let the world take care of itself.  
  
When Catherine discreetly nudged her, Relena realized it was time to recite her vows. With a sudden rush of horror, Relena found herself blanking on the speech she had prepared. Frantically scrambling to find the words, her voice sounded hesitantly, gaining strength and conviction as bits and pieces came floating back.  
  
"Our lives have never been easy. From the moment we first met, I felt as if I had been tossed into a chaotic storm. But you were there throughout everything, the one constant I could always depend on. You gave me your strength so that I could help others, and even in our disagreements, you gave me your support.  
  
"You have taught me many things, both intentionally and not, and for each of those I thank you. We have shared dreams and heartaches, hope and despair. Many times I have felt as if I were lost in a sea of darkness, and each time you sensed that and became my beacon, my light back to myself. Whether it be simply gazing at the stars, or working together to deflect a major crisis, one thing will always remain the same, and I promise to stay by your side for all eternity.  
  
"I love you."  
  
The crowd sighed, a faint sound that reflected the happy emotions of the people. Silence reigned once more as the congregation waited to see how Heero could better that.  
  
Heero turned to look at Relena fully, brushing his thumbs lightly across her knuckles before beginning to speak.  
  
"For years now, I have watched over you, protecting you when you were reckless, defending you against all attacks. I have seen your determination, felt your desire to achieve all goals, and known your convictions to be true. I have tested your strength and your resolve many times; and each time I was able to trust in your purity and your belief that anything can be achieved.  
  
"Even though I did not want to admit weakness, you found a way to show me that emotions are what make us truly strong. I have laughed with you, I have cried with you, I have mourned with you.  
  
"We have taken the road less traveled by - and it has made all the difference. Our paths have been difficult, yet you placed your faith in me, which in turn allowed me to believe in myself, and in you, to follow wherever the path took us.  
  
"Which is why I give you this, this symbol of my honor, that I will stand by your side in all that you do. I will protect you if the world goes crazy; I will support you when your strength isn't enough. I will cherish you and love you.   
  
"Forever."  
  
Heero felt tears beginning to form, trying to break free. For once, he openly allowed his tears to fall, allowing the world to know his happiness. Taking her left hand, he gently slid the plain gold band across her knuckle, raising her hand to kiss the ring. Looking up, he smiled, gently brushing her tears away with a gentle thumb.  
  
The final words the minister spoke were lost to Relena, the only thing that held her attention standing before her. Mimicking Heero's gesture, she brushed his tears away, her gaze never leaving his. The two were lost in their own private world, wrapped in happiness and joy.  
  
A small jab from Zechs brought Heero back to the moment. Glancing back, he saw his now brother-in-law making a small kissing faces. Grinning, Heero happily turned to his bride, pulling her close.  
  
"Forever?" Relena whispered.  
  
"Forever," Heero affirmed, capturing her lips with his own.  
  
**************************************  
  
Well, that's the end of Symbol. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I did writing it - when my muse would co-operate, of course. I already have the sequel in mind, but it might be a while, and I have so many other ideas as well. Let me know what you think.  



	11. Epilogue - home

Symbol of Honor  
  
Epilogue  
  
By Lady Saffir  
  
DISCLAIMER: Lemme check my notes...nope, still don't own them. *sigh*  
  
  
AN - No, this isn't another chapter of Choosing Fate, but I hope this will appease the masses until I can crank another chapter out. I also don't own the song. It can be found on the 'Romeo and Juliet' soundtrack.   
  
I was rereading 'SoH' the other day and realized something very important. I forgot to include somewhere in there the mystery gift that Noin and Zechs bought. Talk about feeling stupid. Anyhoo, it's in here, as well as sap and mush and fluff and everything else that makes we females wish there was a man out there that actually acted this way. *sigh* ^_~  
  
Big thanks goes out to Fatima, RM, and Cindy for checking all of my stuff over. ~GLOMP~  
**************************  
  
Relena felt as if the world was spinning out of control. She and Heero had finally married. Life was looking pretty good.  
  
Her gown had a detachable train, so it only took Relena moments to prepare for the reception. Noin and Catherine helped to gather the yards of fabric up, leaving it in the small side room to be picked up later.  
  
Opening the door, Relena caught Heero in the act of wincing as he checked his shoulder wound.   
  
"I told you not to strain, but you wouldn't listen, so it's all your fault," she informed her new husband calmly.  
  
Trowa, standing beside Heero, turned to regard his friend.  
  
"You haven't been married ten minutes, and she's already nagging."  
  
"I know. Is it too late to change my mind?" Heero deadpanned, earning a glare from Relena.  
  
"Fine," she sniffed. "I was going to tell you I'd picked out where we're honeymooning, but now you'll just have to find out with everyone else."  
  
Heero found himself desperately hoping she hadn't picked one of the worse ideas Duo had suggested.  
  
****************************  
  
The cake had been served, complete with Relena mischiefiously smearing some icing across her husband's face. The toasts were finished, many of them being lengthy soliloquies by the older politicians. The young minister's friends had kept their speeches short, intending to rib their two friends in private.  
  
Then came the moment many were waiting for.   
  
Catching Sally's attention, Heero tilted his head towards the stage. The murmur of the crowd fell as they saw the Preventer physician mount the stairs to the stage and take the microphone. After speaking quietly to the piano player, Sally motioned Quatre to join her on stage, piquing the interest of the audience even more.  
  
The two friends held a whispered conversation, then Quatre began to play, the haunting chords carrying well in the now silent room.  
  
The start of the music was Heero's cue, and he gently pulled an unresisting Relena onto the dance floor. Catching her one hand in his, he allowed his left hand to settle on her waist, close to where Relena held the trailing edges of her gown up.  
  
"Heero?"  
  
Shaking his head, the young man simply kissed his wife softly on the forehead, then began to dance.   
  
Sally smiled from her vantage point on the stage, happy the young boy she once knew had finally grown up and found love.  
  
/For I can stand a thousand trials, the strong who never fall, but watching stars without you my soul cries/  
  
Heero watched as Relena's eyes widened at the song's words. Many a night they had crept through a window to perch on the roof of the Peacecraft mansion, each content to simply lie there and stare into the dark heavens. Those were the moments were each confided in the other; where they puzzled through the events of their lives.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
/every heart is full of pain  
  
I'll, I'll be aching/  
  
An audience gathered at the edge of the dancing floor, in awe of the picture the Foreign Minister and her lethal husband made. At that moment, it was hard to remember that the two young people before them had played a large role in bringing the current peace in to life.  
  
/'Cause I'm kissing you, oh  
  
I'm kissing you, oh/  
  
The reception members sighed in approval as Heero dipped his head down, capturing Relena's mouth with his own.  
  
  
/Touch me deep, pure and true  
  
Gift to me, forever/  
  
"You did that, you know. From the first moment I saw you, something in the area of my heart twinged, and I knew that no matter what the future held, I would always carry the memory of our first meeting with me."  
  
Heero's voice, soft against Relena's ear, caused shivers to race down her back. His admission brought tears rushing forward, and she had to hastily blink to stop them from spilling over.   
  
/'Cause I'm kissing you, oh  
  
I'm kissing you, oh/  
  
The tempo sped up, and the steps of the dance leapt to match the pace. A wide circle had formed to enclose the two lovers, and it was within these confines that the Yuy's now whirled. Relena's gown began to flare outwards slightly, the white trimming lifting to skim the ground.  
  
/Where are you now?  
  
Where are you now?/  
  
"I asked that every day you weren't with me. The silences were nerve wracking. I felt horrible for wishing you would blow something up, just so I would know it was you, and you were alive. You tried to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders and not ask for help, and I was so afraid for you. Afraid that you would burn out and hate life, or make a costly mistake because you grew weary. Most of all though, I was afraid that I would never know whether or not you had survived.  
  
"Please, don't ever leave like that again. I'm not strong enough to stand it."  
  
Relena's admissions brought for another bout of tears, and Heero could only thumb them away, and kiss her.  
  
"I can't promise you that I won't leave again on a mission, but I swear to you that I will find my way back to you. I swear it," Heero vowed, crushing Relena to his chest, capturing her lips in a kiss that had Duo wolf whistling.  
  
/'Cause I'm kissing you  
  
I'm kissing you, oh/  
  
The dance came to a close, and the couple went forward to hug and thank both Sally and Quatre for the wonderful song.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Relena had danced with all of her friends, and was sharing the next to last dance with her brother. She found herself slightly wishing for the song to end. Milliardo had turned into a large sap as the wedding events wound down.  
  
"The house is going to be so empty with you gone. You will visit often, won't you?"  
  
Before she could stop herself, Relena rolled her eyes at Milliardo's words.  
  
"I live ten minutes away. You can drive there, you can walk, run, jog, trot; ride a horse - any way you come, it won't take that long. You also have my cell, Heero's cell, both of our work numbers. For god's sake, you WORK with Heero and talk to him every day. I'm not going to drop off the face of the earth, you know."  
  
A rueful smile graced Milliardo's lips at his sister's scathing words. Trust her to point out the blatantly obvious.  
  
"You are right as always, sister mine. I hope you'll forgive me for indulging in a moment of nostalgic remembrance."  
  
Heero appeared from the shadows at that moment, rescuing Relena. As her new husband whisked her away, she confided in a low tone,  
  
"I think aliens abducted the real Milliardo Peacecraft and replaced him with a clone."  
  
The surrounding guests, who just so happened to also be the former Gundam pilots, caught Relena's theatrical whisper.  
  
Duo, who had been dancing with Noin, turned to give her a solemn look.  
  
"Lieutenant, I charge you with the duty of explaining to one Zechs Merquise the concept of 'growing up'. Make your country proud, and may god be with you during the difficult mission."  
  
Noin snapped into military mode, performing a sharp salute.  
  
"Mission Acknowledged and accepted, cap'n."  
  
Zechs glared at his wife with mock ire, as she settled into his arms.  
  
"Traitor."  
  
**********************  
  
The final dance concluded, the guests waited anxiously to hear the couple's honeymoon destination. Some speculated on a trip to the colonies, while others predicted some place both lavish and exotic.  
  
Duo, who knew otherwise, grinned mentally and acted as curious as his other friends.  
  
The sound of Relena tapping her crystal glass immediately caught the assembled's attention, and an expectant hush fell over the large room.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, both Heero and myself would like to thank you greatly for your generosity, your understanding, and your support throughout this wedding.   
  
"And now, I would like to inform everyone of our intended honeymoon spot."  
  
Heero was praying as hard as he could, while maintaining a slight smile as if privy to an inside joke.  
  
Ah, the irony of life, since the joke was on Heero.  
  
"Heero asked me to pick our destination, and I had to think long and hard, but in the end, I believe I found someplace that will both entertain and relax."  
  
Heero almost died in during the dramatic pause Relena held out.  
  
"We," she announced with a flourish, "are going to Disney World!"  
  
At her words, Heero fancied that his stomach was turning sympathy flips for his plight.  
  
*************************  
  
Two weeks later found Heero with a new appreciation of the female mind. Relena had found the one threat that would make him do her bidding. He wasn't sure he could live through another trip to that hideous, child stroller infested...place...known as Disney. It was enough to make him wish that Libra's beam cannon had been focused on the state of Florida, rather than the desert.  
  
It was over though, and Heero was pulling into the driveway of their home. He had one more surprise left for Relena, and it had taken ten days for the workers to complete the last wedding gift.  
  
"Heero?"  
  
The sound of Relena's sleepy voice made Heero's stomach to a lazy flip. He didn't think he would ever grow tired of hearing her say his name like that.  
  
"We're home," he answered her unspoken question, pulling his car into the large garage. As Relena stumbled from the passenger side, Heero pulled several bags from the trunk, depositing them by the inner doorway. They could wait, but for now he had something else to do.  
  
Relena 'eeped' in surprise when Heero swung her into his arms. Smiling and allowing himself a small kiss, Heero kicked the door open, announcing,  
  
"Princess, your new home awaits."  
  
Giggling at his pompous tone, Relena blinked back tears as Heero carried her through the open doorway and gently set her feet to the ground.  
  
"Home," she breathed, laughing for sheer joy at the sound of the word.  
  
"Home," Heero affirmed, taking her hand to guide her through the darkened interior.  
  
"Heero?"  
  
Without looking backwards, Heero answered her.  
  
"You ask too many questions. Just wait," he counseled.  
  
"You should let me finish my questions, and besides, I wasn't going to ask where you were leading me. I was going to ask if you knew how much I loved you."  
  
That stopped Heero. Unable to help himself, he turned and pulled her unresisting form closer, capturing her lips with his own.  
  
"I think I have a pretty good idea," he answered huskily, drawing out another kiss.  
  
"Mmmm. That was nice. Now what's got your panties in a twist?" Relena teased, trying to slip past his body.  
  
"No, I don't think so. Be patient and you'll see.  
  
"Close your eyes."  
  
About to protest, Relena finally decided against it. Heero wasn't jumping up and down, but she could feel the energy dancing through his skin. Piqued as to what would make Heero so antsy, Relena simply shook her head and did as he asked.  
  
Heero guided her through a doorway and a far ways into a room before stopping her. Touching her face, he retreated behind her, with a terse, 'wait until I say so'.  
  
Relena was almost ready to start teasing him about his bossiness when light flooded the room. Involuntarily she opened her eyes, unsure what to expect.   
  
It certainly wasn't the view she was presented with, she decided. The room they were in was at the back corner of the house, over-looking a small garden. A large grand piano resided in one corner of the room, backed by floor to ceiling windows. The windows in fact took up two walls, the solid sheets of glass allowing the bright moonlight to filter through. Gauzy curtains, pulled back as not to hide the night sky, fell lazily to the ground.  
  
Several chairs were scattered about the open area, and two large seats that looked as if a love seat had been split in two flanked a small sofa and coffee table. Behind the sofa, a wall shelving multiple books and trinkets rose to the ceiling.  
  
The room reeked of coziness, and all in all it was simply,  
  
"Beautiful," Relena sighed, turning her delighted gaze over the room. The last area she looked at also contained the smiling form of one Heero Yuy, and it was in that direction she launched herself.  
  
Heero found his arms suddenly full of an exuberant Relena, questions flying a mile a minute.  
  
"Slow down and let me explain.  
  
"While we were honeymooning, I had some contractors come in and knock the walls out. This large areas was supposed to be our offices, and I also had them take out one of the downstairs bathrooms, since I doubt we need three anyway.  
  
"The piano is a wedding gift from Zechs and Noin. Noin saw you eyeing it one day, and they asked my opinion. And since you have been going on forever," he teased, "about learning how to play the piano, Quatre contacted one of his former teachers, who will be giving you lessons once a week.  
  
"The windows," Heero gestured, "were Noin's idea as well. She said they reminded her of the school you ran in the Sanq Kingdom. Everyone else pitched in, and I think they came up with something a bit more cozy and family like than the formal living room, don't you think?"  
  
Throughout his speech, Relena's eyes were drinking in the sights before her, unable to believe that Heero and their friends had gone to such lengths.  
  
Eyes shining, Relena gazed up at Heero, a smile gracing her features.   
  
"I love it. It's perfect. Now come here and let me thank you," she ordered, pulling his head down to hers.  
  
Home. So this is what the word truly meant, she mused.  



End file.
